They might look like the latest luxe curated ear to hit your Instagram feed, but those tiny gold dots you're admiring aren't Maria Tash studs, in fact, they're ear seeds.
The prettiest alternative treatment for everything from stress and anxiety, to migraines and stomach aches, ear seeds are somewhere between your ultimate earring constellation and acupuncture.
'They’re a relatively cheap way to offset some of the ails of modern life and look just as good as a Maria Tash earring', says former beauty director and Chinese Medicine student, Joanna Ellner. Something Chinese Medicine practitioner and model Olivia Inge confirms, 'Anyone can use them, I’ve put them on babies, toddlers, teens and tee-totallers! One patient got through an otherwise extremely stressful Paris Fashion Week without the usual anxiety and panic attacks.'
What are ear seeds?
'Ear seeds are tiny balls of gold or silver (plated or in some cases 24ct gold)', explains Inge. 'They have a super sticky, adhesive sticker to attach to the skin. In a clinic, they are frequently applied to the ear but can be used elsewhere on the body.'
'Ear seeds are a form of auricular acupuncture; a really powerful tool that we use in Traditional Chinese Medicine to access specific points on the ear that correlate to different organs and organ systems within the body', Ellner elaborates.
'They’re commonly made from tiny surgical stainless-steel beads laid under a small adhesive plaster that is affixed in a specific place on the ear, for around 3-5 days. They’re disposable usually, and tend to fall off of their own accord, in the shower or sleeping at night.'
ELLE Edit: Ear Seeds
What are the benefits of ear seeds?
'The rationale is that by intermittently applying pressure with the fingertips, directly onto the ear seed and its underlying point, you can help balance its corresponding organ by redirecting, nourish or dialling down its qi [a.k.a. the energy that flows through your body]', explains Ellner.
'So, essentially, ear seeds work by the same principles of acupuncture, just on a much smaller scale. Just as I might insert a needle at Liv3, between the first two toes on the foot, to dial down a headache, I might also apply an ear seed to the Liver point of the ear.
'Where it gets a little tricksy, is that in Chinese Medicine, organs play different roles to that of Western Medicine, so throat complaints may be due to a spleen pathology, anxiety may be caused by in imbalance of qi, yin or yang in the heart or in the lung.
'For a medicine that spans over three thousand years, it’s no surprise that diagnosis is a complex process. And, to get the best from your ear seeds, they need to be put in the right spot, bespoke to your needs. If you’re unsure which points to apply the ear seeds to, contact an acupuncturist through instagram to request a FaceTime consultation for some real-time guidance.'
Can ear seeds help stress and anxiety?
'Independent studies have shown that they have particularly powerful impact in treating psycho-emotional patterns; sleep disorders, anxiety and addiction,' says Ellner. 'These are also areas in which increasing numbers of patients are turning away from biomedical solutions, dissatisfied with results and complaining of side effects of medicine.'
- 'Aside from the Chinese Medicine theory, ear seeds also share some principles with the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy techniques of tapping, or snapping an elastic against your wrist, to transfer difficult emotions in the mind to being felt somatically in the body, which can provide some really valuable in-the-moment relief.'
- 'From a biomedical standpoint, the physicality of applying fixed pressure to an ear seed sets off a chain reaction in the neurological pathways that connect the ear to the brain, and have been shown to reduce physical pain, boost immunity and mental clarity.'
- 'Studies have also found that the application and subsequent pressure that is applied to ear seeds releases endorphins to the brain and pituitary gland, thereby reducing physical pain and promoting a sense of well-being.'
Can you apply ear seeds yourself?
'Ear seeds are commonly used alongside other Chinese Medicine modalities in clinical practice; acupuncture, to herbal medicine, to tui na massage and cupping. They form a key part of the toolkit for practitioners, but the real beauty of ear seeds is that they can used at home, by anyone, anytime,' confirms Ellner.
'And so, they help democratise what can be a complex, often impenetrable form of medicine; they’re easy-to-use, pretty painless, and give patients full autonomy over their treatment.
'In the clinic environment, we’re probably more likely to needle specific points on the ears that have particular implications, but we may also apply ear seeds at the end of the treatment so the treatment continues to have affect for several days after treatment.'
How to apply ear seeds
If you're happy to try ear seeds out at home, it's best to follow some guidelines. Read on for Ellner's top tips for applying ear seeds yourself...
- 'Look for an ear seed diagram online and carefully assess the point at which you want the ear seed to be placed.'
- 'The ‘Shenmen’ point is a good all-rounder for promoting healthy sleep patterns and diffusing anxiety. We call it the ‘fish eye’ as it’s located in a depression where the eye would be of the fish shape of the triangular fossa on the upper ear.'
- 'I’d say any more than three per ear, is too many at once. As with acupuncture, treatment should be lean and focused.'
- 'Then, take a pair of tweezers and gently peel back the adhesive gauze that the ear seed is laid upon and gently place it, sticky side down, with the ear seed itself directly over the point. Use your thumb and forefinger on both sides of the ear to apply pressure to the ear seed and gauze to make sure it’s firmly in place.'
- 'Then, a few times per day, apply pressure with your fingers in the same way, for three or four minutes. They’ll eventually lose their grip and fall away.'
Do ear seeds hurt?
'There is no pain and they do not pierce the skin', Inge reassures us. But, if you're not up for a DIY ear seed situation it's best to turn to a professional.
'It’s best to see a professional acupuncturist who is trained to degree level (check the British Acupuncture Council's website for one nearest to you - https://www.acupuncture.org.uk/find ),' advises Inge.
'In order to get the most out of these ear seeds, a full medical history needs to be taken to fully understand the root of the patient’s imbalance. It might be that other modalities are needed - acupuncture needles, cupping, tuina (chinese massage), lifestyle advice. The ear seeds work as an adjunct to treatment by giving a low dose of stimulation, they help prolong treatment.'
