Ear Candling 101

So I stuck a candle in my ear today and set it on fire. Just kidding. I paid someone to stick a candle in my ear and set it on fire. It's called ear candling. Ear candling is completed by putting a hollow candle in the ear, and lighting the other end.  By the power of convection, the wax and other substances within the ear candle, get sucked out into the hollow candle. 

I have been wanting to try this for sometime now, and with the recent change in seasons, and the recommendation of my acupuncturist, I decided to give to a go. 

I arrived at my appointment and was introduced to my Candler. She was a lovely lady, and she escorted me back to the private room. Now, I had read about ear candling online, as well as watched several YouTube videos so I vaguely knew what to expect. It went as anticipated - I laid on the table on my side, she took the special candle and inserted it through a paper plate and put one end into my ear. She then lit the other end and proceeded to let it burn down for about 10 minutes. As it burned, I heard a soft and relaxing crackling in my ear. The sound and warmth of the candle increased as it burned down closer to my ear. When it burned down to about 2 inches, she removed the candle from my ear and put out the flame. At this point, I asked if I could see what was inside - what had been sucked out my ear. She told me after we finished the other ear, we could cut them both open and see what was inside. I then proceeded to turn over so my other ear was facing up, and a second candle was inserted to work its magic. Another 10 minutes went by, and 27 years of gunk was sucked out into the candle! 

While the crackling fire in my ear, and the spa-like music playing in the room was very relaxing, I did expect more of an overall Experience. In my opinion, a  five-minute neck or face massage on the front or back end of the appointment really would've done wonders.  

I digress. Now to the reveal. She let the remaining candles cool slightly and then she pulled them open for me to see...

So gross

The chunk of wax came from my one ear, and the small bit of wax and powder came from the other. The candler said that the ears normally look different - if wax comes out of one, something different looking will come out the other.   So bizarre but so awesome. I obviously have supersonic hearing now. Just kidding.  

The entire process took about 30 minutes from start to finish, and didn't hurt at all. It cost $45 at the particular salon I went to. It is recommended to have ear candling done every 6 months or so, especially around certain seasons, such as spring or fall. While it was enjoyable, I probably would not go again for several years. 

If you decide to have ear candling done, let me know it goes for you! says the village idiot 

**Please note, I am not a doctor, nor am I recommending you get ear candling. This was something I personally wanted to try and this was my review of the experience. :)