In a seemingly never-ending case of western wellness gurus borrowing from age-old eastern practices, ear seeds are apparently all the rage – or rather all the zen, amongst millennials seeking to cure their alinements, fight off jet-lag, stop smoking or just lose a few pounds.
Described as the ‘reflexology of the ear’ – Ariculotherapy – a form of alternative medicine, can supposedly tap into the hundreds of auricular points within the organ responsible for hearing. Ear seeds then, apply a light and continuous compression that is said to unblock whatever negative energies have built up over time.
If you’re wondering how the seeds stay put inside your ear, luxury brands such as Swarovski and Vie Healing have created 24K gold and silver ear seeds that are attached to adhesive stickers, giving wearers the freedom to stick where they please and skip the appointment to the acupuncturist. According to acupuncturists, the 24K gold works to warm, stimulate and boost the blood supply in one’s ear, meanwhile the silver works to cool and disperse.
Easy to mistake for a new trend of piercings, celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Penelope Cruz have been spotted with the 24K ear bling, making them not only worth a try for your health but also for your fashion game.
As to whether or not ear seeds actually work, there is much debate just like most forms of traditional Chinese medicine with some dismissing it as pseudoscience. However, for those willing to believe in the practice and give it a fair shot, may want to read the 2017 study that came out of the University of São Paulo that found auriculotherapy who ultimately decided that more research must be done before a firm verdict is laid out.