Ear Hair Removal for Men – Your Options
Most guys know that they need to deal with over-long chest hair, back hair, shoulder hair, facial hair, and even hair downstairs, but what happens when hair begins to sprout from your nose and ears? How do you take care of that?
If you need to get rid of ear hair, here are the methods you should consider:
Best Products for Ear Hair Removal
Epilator | Quality | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
A+ | $ | Best Buy | |
A | $ |
Shaving / Trimming / Cutting
For the man who wants to avoid any sort of pain in his very sensitive ear canal, there are all sorts of methods of simply getting rid of the ear hairs without removing the root or burning anything.
There are scissors shaped specifically for snipping ear and nose hairs, and there are nose/ear hair trimmers that have special blades to buzz/trim the hair inside your nasal and ear canals. The results aren't permanent, but they're painless!
Recommended Trimmer
Panasonic ER-GN30-K Nose, Ear n Facial Hair Trimmer
Fast and accurate nose and ear hair trimmer
$12.48
Pros
- No pain
- Minimal risk of damage
- Very cheap
Cons
- Results are not long lasting
- Time consuming
- You may not get all the hairs with your trim
Estimated Cost:
Up to $25 one off for the ear trimmer
Burning / Ear Candle Treatment
This method comes from Turkey, though currently only a few hair removal specialists in the US practice it.
According to an article in GQ [1], a cotton ball is wrapped around barber's scissors, dipped in special alcohol, and lit on fire before tapping against the ears. The fire singes the hairs, burning them back to the skin. It's a unique treatment, but can be very painful if done not done exactly right.
Pros
- Quick and easy
- Reduces risk of infection
- Longer lasting results than shaving / trimming
Cons
- Not widely available in the US
- Risk of injury higher than with shaving
- Pretty terrifying!
Estimated Cost:
Up to $50 per session
Depilatory Creams
Applying creams like NAIR or Veet to your ear canal is definitely not something to take lightly, and it's best to consult an otolaryngologist before using this treatment.
The chemicals that burn away the hair are harder to wash out of your ear canal, and there's a risk that you will push the cream down your ear canal--potentially damaging the very sensitive skin inside. However, for a pain-free way to remove hair, this could be a good option, if the appropriate precautions are taken.
Pros
- Cheap
- Painless
- Can be done at home
Cons
- Greater risk of injury (strong chemicals)
- Potentially unsafe, especially in the ear
- Messy
Estimated Cost:
$10 - $15 per Container of Cream
Plucking / Tweezing
If you're a hardcore manly man, you undoubtedly have no reaction to the thought of violently jerking your ear hairs out by the roots one at a time.
For the less-manly, it's a very painful way of removing hair that does the job passably well. As long as you can see the ear hairs, you can pull them out. However, the fact that the hairs are by your ears is going to make it difficult to tweeze or pluck. Plus, there is a risk of infection in your ears.
Recommended Tweezer
Crave Naturals Preciso Tweezers
Highly accurate stainless steel tweezers with case
$12.99
Pros
- Very Cheap
- Easy to learn
- Can be done at home
- Good precision
Cons
- Painful
- Hairs have to be pulled one by one
- Due to the position of the ear, it's difficult to do this on yourself
Estimated Cost:
$10 - $15 one off cost for the tweezers
Waxing / Sugaring
Waxing your ear canals may seem like an odd option, but the truth is that it can be done fairly easily. The ear canal is thoroughly cleaned and baby powder is sprinkled on the inside of the ear.
A Q-tip is dipped in wax and placed in the ear, and when the wax cools sufficiently to grip the hairs, it is yanked out. It's an effective way to get rid of ear hair, but the risk of damage and infection is slightly higher.
Video Demonstration
Watch this video for a full demonstration of how ear waxing hair removal works:-
Recommended Home Waxing Kits
GiGi Brazilian Waxing Kit 14 oz
Easy-to-use Brazilian home waxing kit to remove unwanted hair from the pubic area.
$33.24
Clean + Easy Professional Waxing Spa Basic Kit
One of the best home hot waxing kits available on the market. Read more about this product here.
$87.49
Pros
- Can be easily done at home
- Cheap
- Not time consuming
Cons
- Risk of infection and ear canal damage
- Harder to learn
- Potentially quite painful
Estimated Cost:
Prices vary but can be as little as $15 for a home wax kit
Laser Hair Removal
If you're serious about getting rid of your ear hair, laser hair removal is currently considered the most effective option. While it won't provide the permanent results that electrolysis offers, the risk of damage to your ear is much lower.
Of course, that doesn't mean that it isn't painful, but it's a bit safer than electrolysis. If you want at least a few years of hair-free ears, it's worth paying for laser hair removal for your ears.
Pros
- Long term results
- Less painful than many of the other methods
- Low risk of damage
Cons
- Expensive (hundreds up to $1000 for ear treatment over a number of sessions)
- Angles of ear make treatment difficult
Estimated Cost:
Varies from person to person. From $250 - $1000 for a series of full treatments
Electrolysis
Electrolysis involves a very tiny needle being inserted into hair follicles and an electric current being run through the needle to burn the hair.
The angle of the ear canal makes it difficult for the needle to penetrate the follicles properly. However, a properly trained electrologist should have no problem dealing with this.
Given the small size of the treatment area, electrolysis is one of the most popular methods of ear hair removal for those who want permanent hair removal
Pros
- Permanent results
- 100% effective if done by a well trained electrologist
Cons
- Expensive
- Requires a number of treatments for up to a year
- Can cause discomfort
- Need to do your homework to make sure you get a good electrologist.
Estimated Cost:
Varies from person to person. From $250 - $1000 for a series of full treatments
Resources:-
[1] http://www.gq.com/style/blogs/the-gq-eye/2014/04/get-rid-of-ear-hair.html
