On Saturday, A Healthy Solution For You Health & Wellness Centre in Bradford held a Personal Health and Wellness Day with ear candler, Carmina Iannuccilli.
Owner of the centre, Cassie Landolfi, noted the first ear candling event she held in the fall was so popular she decided to invite Iannuccilli back for a second visit.
“It’s very cleansing. I wish more people would do it,” said Landolfi.
Iannuccilli has a background in aesthetics and aromatherapy. She has been practicing ear candling for the past 15 years.
“It intrigued me,” she explained. “It is pretty cool.”
The process involves putting a hollow cone candle in the ear; the theory is that, when lit, the candle acts like a vacuum to draw ear wax and debris out of the ear.
The candles she uses are held with cloth and dipped in beeswax and lavender oil.
Iannuccilli says she can gauge how much wax a client has in their ears, depending on how fast the candle burns.
“If the candle is burning really fast, then there’s a lot of wax,” she said, explaining the theory behind the practice.
But she warned that some ear wax should be left inside. “You always want a little bit of wax in here to protect the eardrum,” Iannuccilli said.
She said most people getting the service done for the first time can have a second procedure done in a month, and then once every season after that.
As the candle burns, Iannuccilli also massages the clients’ sinus area to get the fluid moving. “It’s very calming,” she said.
After each candle is burned, she places them in a bowl of water to extinguish the flame. Once both ears are done, she cuts open the hollow candles and reveals the built up wax and debris collected to the client. Last year, she said one of her client’s had a bug sucked up during her session.
Every client's results are different, but a lot of them have said the service helps them with headaches, migraines, congestion, earwax build up and sinusitis, Iannuccilli said.
Felix Duva was the first client on Saturday - his second visit with Iannuccilli. He noted the last time he could feel the difference in his sinuses, and that the procedure felt relaxing.
“My sinuses are a little less stuffed,” he said after the 15 minute treatment.
Another client, Meaghan Pereira, was trying ear candling for the first time. Pereira said she was looking for some relief of her ear wax build up due to her uneven eardrums.
“They are uneven and I build up more wax in one eardrum rather than the other and I am prone to getting ear infections,” she explained.
She said she felt relaxed throughout the process.
Iannuccilli advises not to use cotton swabs in the ear, as it causes wax to get pushed in further. Instead, use a washcloth with water to cleanse the ears at home.
According to the Canadian College of Holistic Health, the origins of ear candling come from India. Although not approved by Health Canada, there are many holistic centres and beauty salons that offer training and services for it and many clients who claim to derive benefit from the procedure.
