What is Ear Candling?
Ear candling is the technique of placing a lit, hollow candle into the ear to remove ear wax blockage. Ear candles are available for purchase online and at some health food stores. Additionally, ear candling procedures are available at health spas and massage parlors. Doctors do not perform ear candling. Ear candling takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes and involves lying with the afflicted ear facing upwards while a lit candle placed inside the ear slowly burns. When the candle burns down, it's removed from the ear.
How it's Said to Work
Ear candling purportedly removes wax buildup from the ear. When an excess amount of earwax forms in the ear, it can press against the eardrum, causing pain and hearing loss. According to the Mayo Clinic, ear candles supposedly draw wax and other debris out of the ear because, when heated, the hollow candle creates suction that pulls the earwax out of the ear and inside of the candle. During an ear candling procedure, the patient may hear a crackling sound and feel warmth in the ears, says Linda Dahlstrom, health editor of "Does it Work?"
Doctors' Insight
Although ear candles are touted as having the power to suck earwax out of the ears, doctors and other health professionals are wary. Ear candles may only be a placebo and can also be dangerous, says Dr. David Leopold, director of integrative medical education at Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine. "At the very best, it's not going to work," says Dr. Leopold. "At the worst, it's going to be dangerous."
The Mayo Clinic doesn't recommend ear candling as a treatment for earwax blockage because there's no proof that ear candles remove wax from the ear. According to Dr. Leopold, the residue inside the ear candle after the procedure is not earwax or toxins from the ear, but wax and debris from the candle itself. Additionally, ear candling "may result in injury, such as burns, ear canal obstructions and even perforations," the Mayo Clinic says.
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