No longer offered
We no longer offer ear candling
Ear candling used to be on our list of traditional treatments. We took it off on 9 October 2026, after reading what the US Food and Drug Administration and the one clinical study of it say. This page sets that out, so anyone searching for ear candling gets the same answer we did.
If your ears feel blocked or sore, see a doctor. That is not something a massage, or a candle, should be treating.
What the FDA says
The FDA treats ear candles as medical devices and stops them at the US border without inspection, under Import Alert 77-01, last revised on 4 June 2025. It gives two reasons. There is "no validated scientific evidence to support the efficacy of the product for its intended use." And it considers the product "dangerous when used according to its labeling, since the use of a lit candle in the proximity of a person's face would carry a high risk of causing potentially severe skin/hair burns and ear damage."
What the study found
Doctors at an ear, nose and throat clinic tested the claim that a lit candle draws wax out of the ear (Seely, Quigley and Langman, Laryngoscope, 1996). In a model of the ear canal the candles made no suction at all. In a small trial on eight ears they removed no wax, and in some they left candle wax behind. A survey of 122 ear, nose and throat doctors turned up 21 ear injuries from ear candling.
The study's own conclusion is that ear candles have no benefit for ear wax and may cause serious injury.
What you can still book
The rest of our traditional treatments are still available at home, and the head massage works the scalp, temples, neck and shoulders if it was the quiet half hour you were after.
Questions about ear candling
Do you still offer ear candling?
No. We stopped on 9 October 2026. The US Food and Drug Administration finds no validated evidence that ear candles work and considers them dangerous when used as labelled, because a lit candle at the ear carries a high risk of burns and ear damage.
Does ear candling remove ear wax?
The study that tested it found it does not. Seely, Quigley and Langman (Laryngoscope, 1996) measured no suction in the ear canal, saw no wax removed in a small trial, and found candle wax left in some ears instead.
Is ear candling safe?
The FDA says it is not. Its import alert on ear candles calls them dangerous when used according to their labelling. A survey of 122 ear, nose and throat doctors in the 1996 Laryngoscope study counted 21 ear injuries from ear candling.
What should I do about blocked ears or ear wax?
See a doctor, ideally an ear, nose and throat doctor. Ear pain, a blocked feeling that does not clear, discharge or sudden hearing loss all need a doctor rather than a home treatment.
What can I still book?
Every other treatment on the list, including the head massage, which works the scalp, temples, neck and shoulders, and the other traditional treatments.
Book a different session
Tell us your area, a time and the treatment you want. Send the booking form, or use the chat bubble to ask first.