Ear Candling – Effective Panacea or Dangerous Gimmick?

Ear Candling or MicroSuction?

Many people choose ear candling (also known as “thermo-auricular therapy”) as they are told it is a safe, relaxing and effective way of removing ear wax from the ear canal. With treatment prices typically around £30 for an hour, it seems very good value compared to aural micro suction, which may cost up to £85 for half an hour. With such a difference in price, who in their right mind would choose micro suction over ear candling? Read on, however, and the answer may surprise you…

What Is Ear Candling?

The origins of ear candling have not been firmly established. Some attribute the practice to the Hopi Native American tribe, but the Hopi Tribe quite vehemently deny that ear candling has anything to do with them, and request that people stop associating them with the practice. Apparently, the link originated with Biosun, the largest manufacturer of ear candles in Europe, whose website shows murals of the Hopi Tribe sharing candles. However, these murals are from the “Hopi Tower”, a gift shop in the Grand Canyon that wasn’t built until 1930 (source: this article).

Ear candles are hollow, conical candles made out of a mixture of paper and wax that are usually inserted into the ear canal as shown above, while the end is lit. People usually use a plate or towel around the candle to stop any drips on the outside of the candle from burning the ear or face (but what’s to stop wax dripping down the inside of the candle?).