Ear Candling: A campfire in my ear!
What does ear candling really feel like?
The ear candling process here at Stella's Light takes approximately 60mins, which means 30mins for each ear and 4 cuts are completed. This isn't a rushed process, ears are an important organ, and the candle does what it needs to do during this process which is slowly burn. During ear candling many of my clients state they can hear a mini "campfire in their ear", a gentle crackling and hissing as the flame burns the organic cotton material. Actually, most clients feel so chilled out that they fall asleep and need to be gently woken to switch ears.
A smokey ear?
Below are two images of the plastic cone that sits in your ear and then the hollow ear candle is placed into the cone. The wax of the candle is only found on the outside of the candle. Sometimes the ear candle can be a little smokey and that's still okay, it takes a few minutes and passes.
What is earwax and where does it come from?
These two particular questions are always asked during an ear candling session. With a little bit of research into journal articles I was able to find the most accurate definition of what is earwax and its purpose:
"Cerumen, or “earwax,” is a naturally occurring substance that cleans, protects, and lubricates the external auditory canal. It is also the primary reason why the ear canal can become obstructed. While often harmless, blockage of the ear canal by cerumen can lead to a host of symptoms: hearing loss, tinni-tus, fullness, itching, otalgia, discharge, odor, and cough." (Schwartz et al, 2017).
The diagram below explains how cerumen, earwax is produced. As Schwartz et al (2017, p.S3) states, "cerumen is defined as a mixture of secretions (sebum with secretions from modified apocrine sweat glands) and sloughed epithelial cells, and it is a normal substance present in the external auditory canal. As cerumen migrates laterally, it may mix with hair and other particulate matter".
Is it really earwax that comes out of an ear candle?
Again I leave this up to the client. Why? Well, ear candling hasn't had any significant research for it to suggest it 'draws out earwax'. Therefore, as a practitioner I cannot state that ear candles do this until clinical trials have been completed and confirmed. However, leaving it up to the client is best as they know what they see and feel. Below is an image of the orange-ish wax pieces and the powder (creamy colour) which is generated during condensation of the cotton material.
If you are interested and would like to know more about ear candling please don't hesitate to contact me. I am happy to chat and explain the process with you.
With blessings,
Anna
Source: Seth R. Schwartz et al, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, vol. 156, 1_suppl: pp. S1-S29. , First Published January 3, 2017.
