The therapy can cause infections and burns, Consumer Council says
Ear candling might be dangerous and there has been no scientific proof to support the benefits claimed by therapists, the Consumer Council says.
But a veteran beauty parlour practitioner claims the therapy has been proven useful by its popularity and in practice.
The therapy, which is also called coning, involves inserting a hollow candle into the ear canal and burning the other end, which creates a vacuum that is supposed to extract earwax.
The council said ear candling might be hazardous as it could cause ear infections and burns on the skin, if not monitored properly. 'Consider this - you have a candle so close to your ear and there is a fire on top of it,' said Ching Pak-chung, vice-chairman of the council's public and community relations committee.
In a report from the United States, a survey of 122 ear specialists found that 21 patients had suffered serious injuries caused by ear candling, with six cases of temporary hearing loss, seven cases of candle wax blocking the ear canal and one patient even having an eardrum punctured.
But Sandy Lam Sau-yung, an 18-year veteran in beauty therapies who has conducted ear candling at Ziz Skincare for Men, said the dangers were low and usually caused by using cheap candles, and a lack of experience among some therapists.
