Candling, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

First of all, let me just make a disclaimer up front:  This blog is in no way, shape or form condoning candling as a means to remove wax from your ears.  If you think you have wax built up in your ears, please reach out to Jacki at Sonotone Hearing Aid Centers where she can properly guide you to the proper care.  There are many warnings about candling, so please seek professional care on this.

This is just my experience with it that I wanted to share.

I have very waxy ears.  Always have and probably always will.  I usually don’t let them bother me, but sometimes I just want the wax out. My friend told me about candling and her success with it, so I thought I would give it a try. Please take note:  IN order to do candling properly, you have to have the assistance of another person and you must follow strict safety standards!  Never attempt to do candling alone.

You can buy these candles online or at your local GNC or other health store.  They come in packages of two and also in packages of 6-12.  They are not too expensive, usually about $10.00 for two.

I always have the help of my husband, who really doesn’t want to be messing with this, but knows I need his help. So he reluctantly assists me.  We do it in our garage, knowing the cement floor is much better to have an ash from the candle fall on than carpet or other flammable flooring.  I also protect my hair and head with a towel, leaving my ear exposed.  The instructions are pretty basic.  Stick the smaller part in the ear, light the other end and burn it until the candle has 4 “ left on it.  When you light the candle, it is a slow kind of burn and after about 5 minutes or so, he does flick off the ashes into a safe container.  Then he reinserts and continues until 4” is left.

I sit with my head turned sideways as the candle does it job.  There is absolutely no pain at all. The feeling is warm.  Sometimes I think I hear something, but being the hearing impaired person that I am, am I really hearing something or is it my imagination?  It does feel at times like suctioning is happening, and a few times I swear I can feel something coming out.  It is very relaxing all at the same time too, which is a little weird.

Finally, the candle is burnt to the required height.

Now the fun part starts……or at least in my eyes it is the fun part.  The candle is made with waxy paper that forms the candle cone.  You can unwrap this paper and you can see the debris that is left in the candle.   There is a lot of a waxy powdery substance, and small clumps of wax. Then, there is the jackpot.  Mine was covered with the powder, but when I wiped it off, it was a clump of hardened wax about ½” long….all I can think of is how did this come out of my ear? Did it come out in one clump or was it a bunch of wax pushed together that formed this large clump???

It’s time for the other ear now.  Repeat the process then repeat the fun part.  This ear has more wax than the other. This clump is about the same length as the other ear but is wider in size.  I am mesmerized by this……. how does it come out?  Should I keep this wax to show people or should I throw it away?  Should I proudly post on social media?   I quickly decide that no one wants to see or really hear about my wax, so I just throw it away.

Again, this is my personal story.  If you research it online, you will find two points of view.  One is for the procedure and the other is strictly against.  SO, whatever you choose, please make sure you choose wisely!