What is ear seeding and why is everyone talking about it?
IMAGE VIA @meccabeauty and @the_melbourne_apothecary/instagram
words by daisy henry
What to know about ear seeding.
My first introduction to ear seeding was through my friend, a naturopathic student. She’d frequently show up to catch-ups with tape covering small patches of her ear and intermittently zone out, pausing to press on the small seeds. I’d assumed it was reserved for devotees of holistic, Eastern medicine.
More recently, though, ear seeding has been appearing more and more on TikTok, with videos racking up millions of views. Of course, it pays to have a healthy dose of scepticism when it comes to a new viral health and wellness trend. A quick scroll and you’ll see users claiming the seeds fix anything from pain relief and anxiety to ‘cortisol face’.
For more perspectives on wellness, head on over to our Health section.
“One of the reasons ear seeding has captured so much interest recently is that it sits at the intersection of ancient medicine and modern lifestyle,” explains Carly Woods, a naturopath and the director of The Melbourne Apothecary. Stationed on the ground level of Mecca’s Bourke Street store, the clinic offers a moment of peace among the chaos of the CBD.
She describes ear seeding as a small pause in the day, “a moment to check in with your health while also experiencing something visually beautiful and wearable,” she adds. “For many people, it becomes a gentle step into the broader world of Chinese medicine and integrative health care.”
Though I’d dipped my toe into cosmetic acupuncture before, I’d been hesitant to commit to regular, standing appointments anywhere, which is partially why The Melbourne Apothecary’s Express Gold Ear Seed Therapy appealed to me. Costing $45, the session is a breezy 15-minutes – easily done during a lunch break.
My session began with a warm cup of tea and a consultation with Grace Hermocilla, a registered acupuncturist and Chinese medicine practitioner. We talked about my concerns, including tension headaches, brain fog, neck tension and congestion.
After the consultation, Grace chose six points on my ear – one was a calming point, while another was a neck point to soften muscle tension. After stepping me through what each placement would help with, she showed me how to press and tap the seeds to stimulate each point.
As it turns out, I had several compliments from people who noticed the little 24k gold-plated seeds fastened in my ear. When I told them what they were actually for (not only aesthetics), they were even more intrigued.
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What is ear seeding?
Ear seeding stems from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practices and involves placing tiny seeds on specific points of the ear that correspond with different systems in the body. It comes from auricular therapy, a branch of TCM that maps the entire body onto the ear.
The stimulation of certain points is believed to have positive effects, helping improve symptoms like chronic pain, sleep quality, digestive balance, skin health, anxiety and energy levels.
“Because the seeds remain in place for several days, many people enjoy the feeling that the treatment continues gently beyond the appointment itself,” explains Carly. “It’s a simple but thoughtful way to experience some of the principles of Chinese medicine in a small, wearable format.”
At The Melbourne Apothecary, ear seeding is exclusively performed by Chinese medicine practitioners. After a short consultation, practitioners will choose certain points in that person’s ear to aid in areas such as sleep, stress, digestion, hormones, skin or energy. Given the personal nature, each person’s constellation will look different.
Ear seeding vs acupuncture
According to Carly, both ear seeding and acupuncture are based on the same underlying Chinese medicine principle. “The main difference is the method,” she says. Where acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine needles, ear seeding places the seeds on the surface level of the ear. “They remain in place for several days, providing ongoing stimulation of those points,” she explains.
In some clinics, ear seeding will be offered in addition to acupuncture but it can also be a standalone service.
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What to know post-appointment
The seeds are designed to stay in place for several days, built to endure showers, hair washing and several nights of sleep. And I can attest, they didn’t move at all. I did feel little uncomfortable wedging an AirPod into my seed-covered ear, given that a couple of the them had been placed more internally, but aside from that, they were easy to manage.
Carly and I spoke about the possibility of placebo when it comes to the benefits of ear seeds, so I tried to be sceptical going in. But by the end of the four days, I felt lighter, in more ways than one. My sleep, which at that point had become increasingly disjointed, was smooth and uninterrupted, and for the first time in weeks, I woke up without a headache.
I pressed on them occasionally in the days following and it provided me a sense of comfort. It was calming, and gave me a reason to take small pauses during my day to check in with myself and tune into how I was feeling. When the five days were up, I enlisted my partner to help me take them out.
Treatment and frequency depends on the person, but my practitioner said its common for clients to get them every three weeks to a month at a time. Given that, it’s a fairly low-cost and low-stakes way of dipping your toe into Chinese medicine, especially if the idea of acupuncture needles feels a little intimidating.
For more on ear seeding, try this.
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