Listen Up! What You Need to Know About Ear Hair Removal

Men are hairy creatures. But, unfortunately, as we age, we tend to lose the hair on our head and grow it in unsavory places—like the inside of our ears. 

While ear hair is more common in older men, it can happen in your 20s and 30s. It may seem like a drag, but there is good news—you have options for getting rid of it.

Here are three of the things you need to know:

1. Ear hair can be removed at home by shaving, trimming or waxing.
2. Men can seek professional treatment services to remove their ear hair.
3. At-home treatments can be dangerous when certain precautions aren’t taken.

At-Home Ear Hair Removal Methods

Taking care of your ear hair at home is convenient, affordable and private. Here are a few of the best methods for removing your ear hair by yourself:

Tweezing  

Although it can sting a bit when you pluck unwanted hairs, it doesn’t get any cheaper than the tweezing method. Tweezers are a good option for men who only have a few ear hairs that are noticeable.

Before you use a tweezer, always sterilize it with alcohol. If you’re like most people, you probably use this tool for pulling splinters, removing facial hair and other unsanitary things.

Also, never stick your tweezers down inside your ear canal. This can rupture your ear drum and result in decreased hearing.

Trimming

Ear trimmers are a quick, painless and affordable way to get rid of your ear hair. In fact, you can probably find a decent pair of ear trimmers for as low as $10.

Trimmers can be either electric or manual. Both are simple and safe to use—just make sure you don’t press too hard.

Waxing

If your ear canal is extremely hairy, waxing may be the most effective. However, it’s also the most dangerous because wax can drip into the ear canal and cause damage.

At-home wax kits can take some trial-and-error, but their premise is simple. All you do is apply the wax, let it harden and rip it off.

If that sounds painful, it’s because it is. The good news is that you won’t need to do this often because wax pulls all the hair from the root.

Professional Hair Removal Treatments

If you have the money, professional treatments will save you the frustration of getting rid of your ear hair. Here are a few ways the pros can remove unwanted hair:

Waxing Services

Waxing at home can be messy and dangerous. Why not let a professional do the job for you?

A professional probably can’t make it hurt less, but he or she will ensure that all the hair is removed safely. After this treatment, you can simply manage your ear hair with trimming or tweezing.

Laser Hair Removal

For men who want a more permanent solution to their unwanted hair, laser hair removal treatments are an option. Although some hair may grow back, it is usually lighter and thinner.

Laser hair removal treatments use pulsed laser light to kill the hair follicle from the root and prevent it from growing back. Of course, these treatments aren’t cheap and even a small area such as your nose can cost over $100.

It’s also important to note that while the FDA has approved laser hair removal, there is still some controversy as to its safety. A recent study (see claim: “Acute and chronic exposures to ambient ultrafine particles have been associated with a number of negative respiratory and cardiovascular health effects….”) found that the plume of smoke which is produced by the laser may be dangerous to practitioners and is associated with respiratory and cardiovascular health issues.

Electrolysis

Just like laser hair removal, electrolysis works by destroying the hair follicle to prevent unwanted hairs from growing back. The difference is that electrolysis uses a pulse of electricity which directly targets the hair follicle.

Laser hair removal can struggle to permanently remove blond hair, red hair and gray hair. Electrolysis doesn’t have this same problem and is therefore considered a more permanent solution.

The cost of electrolysis will vary by area and person, but the price is generally comparable to that of laser hair removal.

Bottom Line

The older we get, the more our hair sprouts in places we’d rather it not. While you might not be thrilled with making ear hair removal part of your regular grooming routine, look on the bright side—you have plenty of options to get rid of it.

References

Eshleman, Emily J., et al. “Occupational Exposures and Determinants of Ultrafine Particle Concentrations during Laser Hair Removal Procedures.” Environmental Health, vol. 16, no. 1, 2017, doi:10.1186/s12940-017-0239-z.