Is ear candling safe? Does anyone have any horror stories about it?

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my mom in law swears by them. i have used them and felt no difference. i know this is sick but--she says all the stuff inside the candle when you are done burning it comes from in your ear---that is not true-- i burned a candle not in my ear and it had the same stuff in it.that was in one from my ear-- as for safe..just be careful not to burn yourself i guess. i really think its a waste of time though

Other Answers:
What the hell is ear candelling?

It is safe if you are careful.My granddaughter uses them a lot. If its what i think it is then yes. My little sister used to have alot of ear/tube problems and we did it a number of times. But i would hate to be your only source of info. Im drunk.. but im pretty sure its safe.

Safe-ish, but mostly ineffective. Try a wax softener like Debrox. I have irrigation horror stories, but no candling ones. With a sensitive part of the body like the ear, it's probably not a great idea to apply excess (uncontrolled) heat. Try Debrox, and maybe a hot towel (try filling a cloth bag with dry rice, and then microwaving it for a minute or two to make a little heating pad like thing).

As careful as nose tarping.

Its safe but, my daughter and I both had it done and it didn't do crap. Wasteof money. I had a really close friend that was a really timid computer dork, and he used them. He swore by them and tried to make everyone use them. They must be safe.

It goes without saying that you shouldn't have anything flammable in your ear, such as alcohol.

I like using peroxide

Dont take any chances, if you have ear wax, dont tamper iwth your ears with a candle, go to a doctor and they can easily and painlessly remove the wax,last itme i went thee suctioned it out, they didnt even use that water irrigation which can be a bit annoying, but with the suction it was simple and pain/irritation free and was done in 15 minutes I have used ear candles before. I had a friend who was an herbalist and she swore by it though she said it was illegal in WA where we lived. They are like a paper funnel. You stick the pointed end through the center of a paper plate, lie on your side and put the ear candle in point down. Light the candle and all the wax will be sucked out of your ear and on to the paper plate. It's kinda weird, but it works great. I don't know just how safe with the fire and all. I always had someone help me. I probably wouldn't use it on a small child.

It's safe if done by a professional, but doesn't do much. It's a waste of money..
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/candling.html No, it's not "safe". It's a massive hoax, designed to get $$ from gullible morons. Don't go anywhere near someone who says you need to have it.

Read.
Source(s):
http://www.doctorhoffman.com/candling.htm
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_098.html
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/candling.html
http://www.entlink.net/activities/committees/earcandles.cfm
http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/health/earcandle/ Safe as long as you are careful - you are after all holding a lit candle with one end inside someone's ear! We take a paper plate and cover it with aluminum foil, then poke a hole in the center for the candle to go through. then push the candle through just far enough to go into the ear of the person who is LAYING ON THEIR SIDE. They lay perfeclty still while a second person lights the candle and keeps it trimmed as it burns. We also keep a glass of water close by to drop the trimmings into as they are cut off. The results are amazing, WONDERFUL. If you suffer from stuffy ears, ringing ears, a cold, whatever, it's wonderful. The only caution is if you have a tube in your ear - don' t use the candle. I tried once and it was very uncomfortable and I had to stop.
Source(s):
personal experience

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Is ear candling safe? Does anyone have any horror stories about it?

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