No, it’s not what you are thinking!
I heard about these things that you put in your ear and then set light to them, apparently they then suck out the wax thus cleaning your ears out and making you hear better. Now although this may sound like utter madness to most I have heard good reports about the results and, as a sufferer of waxy ears, would like to try them out. Does anyone have any information about how safe they, where they can be purchased, what the proper name for them is and how they work?
The technique is called “ear candling”, I cannot tell you if it works but the idea is that “with the ear candle inserted into the ear, the heat from the flame creates a stimulating, soothing and warming effect. The mechanics of this system are energetic in nature. Adding heat to the system, in a subtle way results in a stimulation of lymphatic drainage (swelling reduced); in burning off excess mucus in the middle and inner ear, sinuses and nose breathing improves. By increasing the mobility and effectiveness of the white blood cells the immune system is strengthened.”
Since you are in the UK you could try contacting Aroma HealthCare on 01603 811486 for more details - I beleive they both sell the candles and also perform the candling - I only know this because my girlfriend has been looking into it.
Dan
If I’m not mistaken, Skleptical Inquirer did a piece on these several years ago, and concluded that they were a bunch of hooey. You might try the website Quackwatch about it.
I think you’d have better luck with Shrek-style earwax candles.
Ear Candling is quack science, which simply means that it doesn’t work, it’s claims are silly and unproven, and–worst of all–it could damage your ears.
I thought this thread refered to candles made out of earwax… :wally …Now is that a possibility?
We tried these a while ago out of curiosity after a friend gushed about them. After using them, she said, you can cut them open and see all the wax they removed. Problem is, if you burn them in a fake tin-foil ear, you get the same gunk inside after. And my ears yielded just as much gunk as ever.
Quackery, plain and simple. Plus, you look pretty stupid.
Thanks for the info guys, I am not some mad hippy or anything, just some guy with waxy ears that has had enough! Is there any other (safe) methods to get rid of ear wax? I clean my ears regularley with cotton buds but have to be very careful because I once got terrible earache from using them. I have always had really waxy ears and find it gross beyond words, I just want to get rid of it and cottonbuds just temporarily get rid of it.
Your doctor can remove excess ear wax; in addition, you can buy ear wax-removal kits for yourself at most any pharmacy. What you’re suggested not to do, however, is use cotton swabs. From WebMD:
If you’re interested in using a home kit, and since you’ve (possibly) damaged your ears somewhat, you should talk with your doctor before using that home kit.
Ok, a trip to the docs is in order. So anyone here had their ears syringed? Whats it like?
I tend to have very waxy ears, and they impact very easily because I wear earplugs very regularly. To that end, I generally rinse my ears with a light solution of hydrogen peroxide once a week. It’s kind of odd, but you can actually hear the the peroxide breaking up big clumps of wax.
The way I do it is to tilit my head on its side, pour peroxide in, and keep the head tilted until you feel some warmth and/or you see peroxide ‘foam’ bubbling out of the ear a bit. Hold a cotton ball or wadded up tissue to the ear opening to absorb the draining fluid. You’ll see a distinct waxy color to the fluid.
I do this weekly and I very rarely have major wax blockage problems. When I do, I escalate the treatment: first I go to a warm water/peroxide blend, applied with a bulb; if that doesn’t work I then go for a 16-20% carbamide peroxide solution, which always does the trick.
Many times. Its unpleasant, but not really painfull. The doctor uses a big syringe that looks like a caulking gun 
and injects warm water into your ear. There is a loud rushing sound. There is some slight discomfort due to the pressure. Then everything sounds VERY LOUD!
I’ve had it done. And I’ve used the home kits successfully as well. Ear wax buildup is one of those things where the stealth of time has robbed you of something you hadn’t realized you had lost. Then suddenly, a whole new world! 
(Warning: you will be disgusted and horrified when you see what was in there.)
But my girlfriend won’t be! Maybe I should bring her along for the spectacle 'cos she is a sucker for all things rank that come out of the body. What is it with girls and picking spots? I swear, all she wants me for is my puss!
This sounds very very familiar. It’s almost like living with a chimpanzee bent on 24hr grooming
Dan
At least she’s not picking fleas out and eating them though, eh? Saying that, if I actually had fleas I wouldn’t put it past her…
I have a friend who swears by the ear candle; she says it clears out the sinuses. She also told me the way it works is the heat on the lighted end creates a vacuum. However, I would tend to believe the other posts, that it is a bunch of hooey.
However, if you think what would come out of an ear candle is gross, check out the butt candle.
Being a deaf person I am a chronic sufferer of ear wax. Every time I go to the doctor he says that my ears are so blocked with wax that he can’t remove it.
First, DO NOT use Q-Tips. The wax doesn’t stick with them and you just end with an earful of Q-Tip cotton strands making it itchy.
Second, DO NOT use a pen cap or something to scrape the wax. Problematic wax doesn’t scrape off. I figured this out the hard way.
The only “instant relief” things I have found that helps are using earplugs. You put them in as deep as possible, let it sit for a while (as the earplugs expand to fill the canal completely), and then you pull them out. Sometimes gunk gets sucked out in the vaccuum action, but you have to have a VERY good vaccuum going on here. But I find that I can’t do this more than once in a few weeks because the compressed air causes PAIN.
Otherwise, ear wax removal kits help–they consist of an oil that softens the earwax and a syringe bulb that allows you to (hopefully) flush the wax out. The doctor always uses the syringe bulb so he can flush the wax out to look into my year. Unless you happen to be a chronic sufferer of swimmer’s ear and therefore you have to keep your ear canals dry consistently, this and the earplugs are your best bet.
Unfortunately, I happen to be afflicted by wax AND swimmer’s ear so I don’t get much relief other htan the earplugs.
Sorry, that should have said: so blocked with ear wax that the doctor can’t SEE into the ear. Of course the doctor can remove it.
First, they go in the ears, not the nose.
Second, they don’t work.
Third, even if they did work, you’d have to stand on your head while these things did their work, and that’s just plain dangerous.
She should try using a Nori instead.