Ear candling
Ear candling is dangerous, and has no proven medical benefits.
Ear candling is an alternative practice that supporters believe can cure a number of medical problems. In reality, ear candling is dangerous, and has no proven medical benefits.
What is ear candling?
An ear candle is a narrow, hollow cone that has been soaked in wax (beeswax or paraffin) and allowed to harden. During ear candling, the person receiving the service lies on his or her side, while the point of the cone is inserted inside their ear. The top of the cone is then set on fire and left to burn for a few minutes.
The health claim most often made for ear candling is that the flame creates warmth and suction, which draws ear wax out of the ear canal. Some promoters also say that ear candling can cure a wide range of medical problems. It is important to note, that there is no scientific proof to support claims that ear candling provides any medical benefits. In fact, Health Canada has conducted laboratory tests which demonstrated that ear candling creates no significant heating or suction in the ear canal.
On the other hand, there is plenty of proof that ear candling is dangerous. Ear candling presents a risk of fire. It can also cause serious burns and other injuries if hot wax drips into the ear or onto skin or hair. There have several reports of ear injuries in Canada from candling.
In 1996 a report published in the medical journal Laryngoscopesaid that “ear candles have no benefit in the management of cerumen (ear wax) and may result in serious injury.” Health Canada agrees. The authors of the report, all medical doctors, surveyed 122 ear specialists and found 21 cases of serious injury caused by ear candling:
- 13 cases of burns
- 7 cases where the wax from the candle had blocked the ear canal
- 1 case of a punctured ear drum
In 6 of these cases, patients temporarily lost their hearing.
Reduce your risk
Health Canada recommends that you avoid ear candling. It is dangerous and has no proven medical benefits. If you are concerned about ear wax, ask your doctor about safe and effective ways of cleaning your ears.
Government of Canada’s role
Health Canada makes sure that medical devices sold in Canada are safe and effective. Certain types of medical devices require a licence from Health Canada before they can be sold for therapeutic (medical) reasons. Health Canada has not issued any licences for ear candles. Selling ear candles for medical reasons in Canada is illegal. Both Canada and the United States have banned ear candles from being imported.
Some promoters try to get around Canada’s Medical Devices Regulations by advertising that ear candles are “for entertainment purposes only”. But Health Canada maintains that these people are selling the product illegally (for medical purposes), as there is no other reasonable use for ear candles.
Additional information
For consumers:
Report side effects and technical problems with medical devices, like ear candles, to Health Canada (toll-free 1.800.267.9675 or report it online).
For industry and professionals:
See Health Canada’s information about medical devices.
Related resources
For safety information about food, and health and consumer products, visit the Healthy Canadians website (Government of Canada) or Health Canada.
This item was last modified on November 16, 2015