Does ear candling really gets rid of the earwax and cleans up the ear canal? is it safe to do at home?

Question

Does ear candling really gets rid of the earwax and cleans up the ear canal? is it safe to do at home?

Answer 1

No and No.  An ear syringe is a good option.......

Answer 2

No, it does not.  No, it is not safe.

Answer 3

A massage therapist who claimed to be knowledgable with regards to ear candling performed this procedure on my mother.  After he finished the procedure, he unwrapped the lower end of the ear candling cone and sure enough...there was a fair amount of substance which resembled earwax.  He claimed that this had been drawn out of her ear and since there was such an amount that she would need to have this procedure accomplished again in a couple days.

I wasn't convinced being a doctor but wanted to remain open minded.  What I chose to do was to perform the same procedure without putting the tip of the candle in a person's ear.  Once the procedure was accomplished, I unwrapped the end of the ear candling cone and again there was the same amount and type of substance which the massage therapist claimed came out of my mother's ear.

Therefore, it is my honest opinion that ear candling doesn't draw earwax out of the ear canal.

Does ear candling have any theraputic benefits?  Perhaps.

I have since visited with a client of mine who's opinions I trust more fully and she tells me that the substance which is found in the tip of the ear candling cone is not earwax but rather some of the waxy substance from the ear candle itself.  She states that the color of this substance can be different from one client to another and that this difference in color has a significant meaning to someone who is trained in ear candling.  She believes that there is benefit from the combination of mild heat being transferred to the ear/ear canal and the mild vacuum created by this heat.  Here again, how does this truly help?  This is a question which I was not able to get a satisfactory answer for.  Some people claim that it has helped them and therefore, who am I to argue with their results?

As far as is it safe to do at home?  Yes, if done correctly.  However, this is not something you should attempt to do by yourself for yourself.

Before a person inserts the tip of the ear candle into the ear canal, they should check the ear canal with an otoscope to make sure the tissue is not inflamed and that there is no risk of pushing earwax or other foreign objects further into the canal.  If the person is properly trained to do the procedure for you, then they should be able to do it for you safely.

You have asked some good questions and questions which other people likely also have.  I hope this information is of help.

Respectfully,  Dr. Al

Answer 4

Just buy some murine ear drops.  Much safer.