If you despise your ear hair, welcome to the club!
Unwanted hair is something that many individuals have. Fortunately, you can get rid of ear hair in a few ways. Unfortunately, ear hair removal cream is one of these ways.
What is ear hair removal cream and is it a good idea to use it? Ear hair removal, or depilatory, creams remove ear hair painlessly, but typically use toxic ingredients to burn the hair away. These creams can burn the skin if left on too long and can easily get into your ear canal and cause further damage. Other ear hair removal methods are usually safer.
We strongly advise against utilizing ear hair removal cream because it’s dangerous for your ears.
People turn to ear hair removal cream but forget about the strong chemicals. They also forget about cleaning their ears beforehand. Once you remove debris or wax, utilize a trimmer to gently remove hair or rely on other alternatives like laser hair removal or waxing.
Avoid utilizing tweezers, scissors, or depilatory creams as they can cause harm to your canals. The same goes for hair removal creams and milder depilatory creams.
Let’s talk about this method and better alternatives for removing ear hair.
Why Are My Ears Hairy and How to Solve This Issue?
Some individuals get more ear hair as they grow old, especially males. According to doctors, it’s because of increased testosterone. It’s a hormone that makes hair thicker as it grays.
The hair works with earwax to prevent debris and dirt from entering your eardrum. The negative side of extra hair in your ears is the increased risk for otitis externa (swimmer’s ear).
Swimmer’s ear is an infection in your outer ear which can cause complications if left unproperly treated. You catch this infection when bacteria and water get trapped. Hair in your ears gives the bacteria more places to get stuck.
Usually, hair in your ear won’t cause any dangerous health issues. However, if you dislike the way it feels or appears, you can remove it.
Can You Remove Ear Hair?
If you’re embarrassed by your hairy ears or know someone who is, don’t worry. It’s easy to remove. It’s nothing to be ashamed of because hair removal has been around for years.
It’s still very popular, especially with people who get self-conscious about it as they grow older. First and foremost, ear hair is completely normal and harmless unless you have large turfs.
Or it’s causing pain or interfering with your hearing. The initial purpose of ear hair is protecting your ear from debris and dirt. It works with ear wax to prevent dirt from entering your ears.
As you grow older, hormones can make hairs on the outside of your ear coarser and thicker, especially if you’re a male because of higher levels of testosterone.
Excessive hair isn’t hereditary. Scientists used to think it is, but that has been disproven. It’s usually caused by hypertrichosis, issues with the endocrine system, a certain type of medication, or metabolic disorders.
Here’s a shortlist of some common ear hair removal methods:
1. Hair Removal Cream
Also known as depilatory creams, hair removal creams can be utilized to remove ear hair. However, many ear hair removal creams won’t be powerful enough to deal with coarse ear hair.
We strongly advise against using this method as it is not safe. Usually, ear hair removal creams contain toxic ingredients. It’s not safe to use ear hair removal cream as it could cause a blockage, skin, damage, or infection because of toxic ingredients.
If you’re going to use it either way, always check the ingredients to make sure you aren’t allergic to any of them before purchasing. Also, never leave it on longer than stated in the instructions. Otherwise, you will burn your skin.
2. Shaving Ear Hair
You can easily shave off your ear hair with some shaving cream and a razor. However, the results aren’t permanent and you can cut yourself if you aren’t careful. The ear hair will probably grow back in a couple of days, so it’s not a very effective method.
The worst part? Your ear can get annoyed from the razor or strands might not grow back properly. Shaving causes sore bumps also known as ingrown hairs.
To help prevent this when you shave inside your ears, use an electric razor instead of a traditional straight razor. Electric trimmers are a safer but more expensive option.
3. Plucking & Tweezing
Plucking ear hair requires patience and tweezers, as you need to pluck each strand separately. It sounds painful – and it is for most people. Also, it’s time-consuming.
Using tweezers you can catch the base of a strand of hair and quickly pull it out. This is very effective because the strands will come out by the root so it takes longer for it to grow back, from 1-8 weeks.
4. Cutting Ear Hair
You can simply cut or trim back your ear hair, or ask a friend to do it if you can’t see the little hairs well in a mirror.
However, you risk snipping at and slicing your ears by accident, so cutting ear hair may not be the best option. The hair may be less noticeable, but it will grow back anyway.
5. Waxing Ear Hair
You can use either hot or cold wax to remove ear hair. This method of hair removal is also effective. It prevents strands from growing back for 2-8 weeks.
However, a professional should do this for you, as getting wax stuck in your canal isn’t fun.
6. Laser Hair Removal
If you’re looking for a permanent solution, look no further than laser hair removal. It is expensive and can take 4-8 sessions. However, it removes the hair forever and doesn’t have any side effects. Plus, it’s done only by professionals so your safety doesn’t need to be compromised.
Pros and Cons of Ear Hair Removal Treatments
Most individuals know that they need to deal with over-long back hair, chest hair, facial hair, or shoulder hair. But what happens when hair starts to come out from your ears or nose?
Ear hair can be taken care of in a few ways. However, first, you need to consider how long you can spare for each grooming session and how much you can afford to spend on each session.
You can easily remove hair from your ears and nose by shaving, trimming, waxing, or plucking your ear hair. Some people even opt for laser hair removal or hair removal cream. While laser hair removal is okay, hair removal creams aren’t recommended.
Let’s talk about the pros and cons of each technique.
1. Ear Hair Removal Cream
Applying hair removal creams like Veet or NAIR to your ear canal is just something you shouldn’t do. It’s also best to contact your otolaryngologist before attempting to use this type of cream.
It’s usually painless, cheap, and can be done at home, but it’s also unsafe and messy, especially in the ear so it’s not worth the risk.
These creams usually contain toxic ingredients that will burn away the hair. This makes washing your ear canal harder. There’s also a risk that you will press the cream down your ear canal. This is potentially damaging to the super sensitive skin inside.
2. Shaving, Trimming, and Cutting
Shaving, trimming, and cutting ear hair is painless, very cheap, and has a low risk of damage. Although it’s not a permanent solution, it is a painless one. Of course, it’s also time-consuming, won’t last long, and you probably will not remove all the hair.
Still, if you have a very sensitive ear canal, you can remove hairs in your ear without burning or painfully removing the root, which is a nice option.
You can buy scissors shaped specifically for snipping nose and ear hairs. The market is also full of ear/nose hair trimmers that feature special blades to trim/buzz the hair inside your ear and nasal canals.
3. Plucking & Tweezing
If you can handle the pain of plucking hair, this method is ideal for you. It’s affordable, super easy, and can be done at home.
It removes hair from the root so it will take longer to grow back and has the potential to grow a little less with time.
However, most individuals can’t deal with this type of pain around the ears. It’s time-consuming and painful because you need to pluck each strand from the root individually. There’s also a potential risk of infection in your ears.
If you opt for this method, buy highly accurate stainless steel tweezers and keep them clean.
4. Waxing or Sugaring
Sugaring or waxing your ear canals can seem like a weird method. However, it’s very easy if you know how to wax or sugar already and effective.
The canal is fully cleaned and baby powder is typically poured on the inside of the ear. Then, a q-tip is dipped in wax and applied in the ear. Once the wax cools enough to catch your hair, it’s pulled out.
This method is effective and lasts longer than shaving or trimming. It will usually be faster than plucking once you’re used to working with wax or sugar. However, the risk of infection and damage is slightly higher.
You can utilize a Brazilian home waxing kit to remove the unwanted hair from your ears and other parts of your body. It’s cheap, fast, and can be easily done at home. However, it’s painful.
5. Ear Candle Treatment
This is a Turkish method and only a few specialists in the United State practice it.
The process includes a cotton ball wrapped around scissors and dipped in special alcohol. Then, it’s lit on fire before tapping against the ears. The fire removes the hairs, burning them back to the skin. It’s a one-of-a-kind treatment. However, can be super painful if done improperly.
It’s easy and fast, reduces the risk of infection, and gives longer-lasting results than trimming or shaving. However, it’s not widely available in the U.S. and it’s pretty terrifying.
6. Laser Hair Removal
If you want to get rid of your ear hair forever, opt for laser hair removal. It’s the most effective option. However, it’s costly and takes a while. You won’t get permanent results from the first treatment.
Also, the risk of damaging your ears is lower. It’s also safer than electrolysis but it’s not entirely painless. With this technique, you will be able to enjoy hair-free ears for at least a few years.
The benefits include long-term results, low risk of damage, and less pain. However, as we already stated, it’s costly ($100 per treatment) and the angles of the ear make removal harder.
7. Electrolysis
Electrolysis includes a super small needle being inserted into follicles along with an electric current being spread via the needle to burn the hair.
Angles of the ear make it harder for the needle to enter the follicles properly. However, a professional with experience shouldn’t have a problem performing this procedure.
Electrolysis is a popular ear hair removal treatment for people who seek permanent results. If done by a trained professional, it’s 100% effective and offers permanent results. However, it’s also expensive, requires a lot of treatments for up to 1 year, and can cause discomfort. Also, it’s hard to find a well-trained professional.
Can You Stop Ear Hair Growth?
If you’re searching for a permanent solution, opt for laser hair removal. It’s the perfect solution for those who can’t deal with ear hair regularly. The laser gets to the base of the root of strands and destroys them, so they can’t grow back.
The other permanent way of removing ear hair is electrolysis. As we said, this also targets the bulb of strands with shortwave radio frequencies. These disrupt and damage the hair follicles, preventing new ear hair growth.
Related Questions
How Can I Permanently Remove Ear Hair Naturally?
Unfortunately, there’s not a natural way to remove ear hair permanently. As we’ve said, if you want to remove ear hair forever, you pretty much need to opt for electrolysis. It’s a very popular but expensive ear hair removal treatment. You can also go for laser hair removal which is close to permanent.
Otherwise you can use other ear hair removal options that are slightly more natural (like honey-based waxes) than others (such as toxic ear hair removal creams).
You can utilize a razor made for ear hair removal instead of a straight razor for short-term results. You can also pluck your ear hair with tweezers. It’s painful but provides long-term results (1-8 weeks). People also use either hot or cold wax to remove hair and enjoy hair-free ears for a few weeks.
What is the Purpose of Ear Hair?
The ear hair works with earwax to prevent debris and dirt from entering your eardrum. The small hair inside your ear helps people heat and keep their balance. However, as you grow older, your ear hair gets darker. There’s no shame in wanting to remove your ear hair permanently or temporarily.
Is Plucking Ear Hair Bad?
If you have a delicate ear or sensitive skin, plucking ear hair isn’t recommended. Find a less harmful or painless way to remove ear hair like laser hair removal, electrolysis, waxing, or trimming.
What Are the Benefits of Ear Hair Waxing?
People choose to have their ears waxed because it lasts for up to 2 months, can be utilized on hair both outside and inside the ear, and there’s no risk of burning with cold wax.
Also, ear hair waxing costs less than permanent hair removal. Hard waxes make the perfect solution for smaller places like the ears and can be easily applied by a professional.
Wrap Up
Ear hair happens to everyone. However, as you grow older, it can become coarser and thicker. This often happens more to males than females.
Opt for generally harmless methods like waxing and trimming, even though some are more effective than others.
Avoid methods like laser hair removal and removal creams. Laser hair removal is generally safe as it is done by a professional, but it is also expensive. It provides long-term results but they aren’t totally permanent.
Hair removal creams, on the other hand, can be quite dangerous.
Up Next: 7 Best Shampoos For A Stinky Scalp
