THE PURPOSE of this report is to present an improved type of skin incision in the otoplasty operation for protruding ears. As far as can be determined at this time, this ZC incision has not been previously described. A great deal of attention has been justifiably paid to the cartilaginous reconstruction with the view perhaps that the cutaneous surfaces will ultimately adapt to the underlying reconstructed skeleton in any event. A characteristic description of the skin incision is "the posterior surface of the cartilage is exposed by removal of a crescentic area of skin 1 cm wide...."1,2 This is stated in what is probably the most recent and satisfactory approach to the otoplasty, utilizing as it does buried mattress sutures in the cartilage. However, even when employing this method for the underlying structures, it has been noted, over a period of time, that unless careful attention is paid to