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Ear Candling

psyrave

Greenlighter
Joined
Jan 2, 2010
Messages
25
Just wondering if anyone here has ever tried the ear candling method to remove ear wax? Or used them for any purpose at all. Do they work?
 
Yes, my partner and I have tried them once. It seemed to work brilliantly!!
I've been wanting to do it again not only for the removal of wax, but also for the comfort-factor. It was so relaxing! But that was just my personal experience :)

There's not much harm to be done (obviously make sure you don't push the candle in too far) so why not give it a try?
 
Ear candling is said to be ineffective and can actually be pretty damaging to your ears. Here's a quick read on webmd. http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/lowdown-on-ear-candling

Same could be said for Qtips, but most people are surprisingly eager to jam them into their ears even though they can actually jam the wax further into the canal...or if you're really not careful, puncture an ear drum.

Screw up your ears and you can screw up your whole day. Just have your doctor clean out your ears the next time you go in for a checkup. They'll use water jets to do it. Not the most pleasant thing, but safer.
 
That is definitely true about the danger of using q-tips. But having said that it can be done safely if you don't jam the thing all the way in to your ear.

I must say I had the exact same concerns about the wax dripping in to the ear but we burned 2 ear-candles over the sink to see if this was going to happen, and it didn't. We felt safe to proceed. Perhaps with lower-quality/cheaper brands this might be an issue though...
 
i love cleaning my ears with qtips after a bath. It's just....SENSATIONAL ;)
Also, I never ever had huge wax buildup because my ears are always clean anyway so there's nothing to shove inside anyway!
 
Just a quick note, Qtips actually state a warning label on the package that they should NOT be used in your ear and can cause damage to your ear.

Some wax (cerumen) is actually good for your ears as well--repels water and staves off ear infections.
 
Been doing it since I was little. I'm perfectly fine. Oh well. :p
Of course, one shouldn't stick it in too FAR and exercise some caution and all that. Common sense.
Most everybody I know does that here....maybe it's an Asian thing;)
It may not be for EVERYBODY!
 
Agreed! Something satisfying about knowing you've got clean ears. I've had ear problems before so personally I cringe at the possiblity of hurting them, but I definitely understand what you mean.
 
They work great just make sure to get the Aveda brand..... Do each ear every 6 months.... its great. They are very easy and safe to use.
 
Ive never really cleaned me ears... i did when i was younger then i just stopped.. never had any problems, i can hear better than most, and they dont look disgusting/wax dripping out so... why start cleaning? Im pretty sure wax serves some important service to your ear and its safety anyway.
 
I use a product called Aqua Ear from time to time - which is for swimmers ear (ie. water in the ear). Its just Glacial Acetic Acid + Isopropyl Alcohol. It's great for that itchiness you sometimes get - burns a bit - but its a good burn.

I find ear-candles, whilst relaxing, are not really that effective.
 
ive heard of people using hydrogren peroxide solutions, and that just seems damaging,

even isopropyl alcohol seems like it would be damaging to the sesitive tissues inside your ear
 
Hydrogen Peroxide is great for cleaning out ears if you have a large wax buildup.

I've used ear candles and also burnt them out on their own and the residue was the same. I'n my experience with ear candles they don't.
 
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Ear candles don't work. Like most "alternative medicine" there are only anecodatal stories of effectivness and when these methods are tried in a controlled setting they fail to show efficacy. Might as well just start using homeopathy, too.
 
my brother and his wife used to do this, besides being one of the funniest looking things ever. They swore to me that this works, just don't get the ashes in your ears.
 
the wax is there for a reason, but you could probably just use a saline flush if you really needed to get some of the wax out.
 
Hydrogen Peroxide is great for cleaning out ears if you have a large wax buildup.

This post... dilute H2O2 solution and an oral syringe and some high pressure bursts and some patience will have your ears squeaky clean in ten minutes.
 
Ear candles don't work. Like most "alternative medicine" there are only anecodatal stories of effectivness and when these methods are tried in a controlled setting they fail to show efficacy. Might as well just start using homeopathy, too.

Heh your post made me laugh.

I know WAY too many people who actually believe in and swear by "alternative medicine" and homeopathy for some pretty serious diseases and conditions.
 
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