If you’ve ever been tempted to try ear candling for blocked ears or “detox”, here’s the short version from our clinic in Forestville: please don’t. Ear candling doesn’t draw wax out, it doesn’t detox anything, and it does introduce very real risks—burns, blocked canals, and even perforated eardrums. Multiple regulators and clinical studies have examined the practice; none have found credible benefit, and several have documented harm.
The claim vs the physics (and the evidence)
The claim: a hollow candle creates gentle suction that pulls earwax and “toxins” out of the ear canal.
Reality: that suction simply doesn’t happen. In a lab model and small clinical trial, researchers measured pressure during ear candling and found no negative pressure, and no wax removal from ears that actually had impaction. They also observed candle residue deposited in previously clean ears. In other words, the brown crumbly material you see afterwards isn’t your earwax; it’s a candle by-product.
A broader look at the published reports is consistent: ear candling fails to remove cerumen and has been associated with injuries, including canal burns and blockages from the candle material itself. Surveys of ear, nose and throat specialists have catalogued numerous injuries linked to the practice.
What health authorities say
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is blunt: ear candling is ineffective and risky. The agency has received reports of burns, perforated eardrums, and wax blockages that sometimes required surgery; it specifically warns against using ear candles on children.
In Australia, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has excluded ear candles from the therapeutic goods framework, indicating they are not recognised as therapeutic devices under the Act. Historically, some ear candle products listed in the ARTG were cancelled, and current guidance clarifies their excluded status. Put simply: they’re not approved medical treatments for earwax or anything else.
The real risks (and we see them)
At The Audiology Place, the two most common ear-candling complications we encounter are:
- Thermal injury: burns to the pinna (outer ear) and canal skin. These are painful and can increase swelling and blockage—exactly the opposite of what you were hoping for.
- Foreign material in the ear: candle residue and soot left behind, which can harden and obstruct the canal or sit on the eardrum, sometimes worsening hearing and discomfort.
Other reported harms include eardrum perforation and secondary infections following tissue damage. None of these risks are offset by demonstrated benefits, because there aren’t any.
“But my ears feel clearer after I do it…”
Two things to know:
- Expectation effects are powerful. When we anticipate relief, our brain often reports it—especially after a ritual that looks and smells “therapeutic.”
- Wax is protective. Cerumen has lubricating and antimicrobial properties; removing too much (or pushing material deeper) often causes itch, pain, and more blockage down the track. Evidence-based care aims to restore healthy canal function, not strip it bare.
What actually works (evidence-based options)
For stubborn wax, best-practice care is simple and safe:
- Softening drops (oil- or water-based) can help break wax up prior to removal; systematic reviews don’t identify a clear “winner” among types, which is why we choose drops to suit your ear health and the wax we see on otoscopy.
- Professional removal by a trained Audiologist or ENT using microsuction and/or curettage under direct visualisation. This avoids pressure on the eardrum and minimises trauma. (We do this in our sound-treated clinic rooms in Forestville.)
If you’re a frequent wax-builder, we’ll help you plan a safe maintenance schedule instead of reaching for risky home remedies.
Red flags: when to seek help fast
Skip all DIY approaches and book a same-day assessment if you notice sudden hearing loss, severe ear pain, discharge (especially if bloody or foul-smelling), fever, spinning dizziness, or a suspected foreign body in the ear. These need proper examination and targeted care—never a burning candle.
A note for parents and carers
Children’s ear canals and eardrums are delicate, and their infections and earwax patterns differ from those of adults. Regulators are particularly concerned about the risks of ear candling in kids. If you’re worried about your child’s hearing, speech clarity, or frequent “blocked ears,” an age-appropriate hearing check and a safe wax management plan are the right next steps.
References
FDA: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/health-fraud-scams/ear-candling-ineffective-and-risky
Lukolo, L. N., Kimera, L. C., & Pilbee, G. (2021). Self-Ear Cleaning Practices and the Associated Risks: A Systematic. Global Journal of Health Science, 13(5).
Munro, K. J., Giles, T. C., Smith-Howell, C., & Nazareth, I. (2023). Ear wax management in primary care: what the busy GP needs to know. The British Journal of General Practice, 73(727), 90.
Vivas, E. X., & Hanson, M. (Eds.). (2023). External Ear Disease, An Issue of Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America, E-Book (Vol. 56, No. 5). Elsevier Health Sciences.
