Ear candles are regularly promoted by alternative health suppliers and have been getting quite the hype from the media even though there is no evidence to suggest they have any real benefit. The idea behind the “treatment” is that one of these special wax candles is inserted into the ear and then lit. This produces cleaning vapours that penetrate the inner ear and remove impurities and wax, drawing them out by the suction that is allegedly created by lighting the candle. Supporters of the practice claim that it clearly works, since when you open up the remains of the candle it contains a waxy substance reminiscent of the earwax that we find in our ears.
