What are the benefits of Ear Seeds?

Step aside, vintage gold and diamond studs—ear seeds may just be your best dressed accessory, and the best part, they’re an ancient wellness practice instead of just an accessory trend. 

While you might be hooked at  “stylish ear accessories that can make you happier and healthier,” if you need a little more info on what they are, how they work, and whether or not they’re worth, read on for a 101 guide to ear seeding and how to reap the benefits for yourself.

What are Ear Seeds?

While the practice of ear seeding has been seen in trendy wellness spaces as of late, it’s a practice that has been used for in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. The original ear seeds were seeds of the Vaccaria Plant (thus the name Ear "Seeding”), which is a plant that is native to Asia and was most often used with traditional acupuncture.

So why stick “seeds” on our ears? It’s a practice of acupressure, which is acupuncture’s less invasive sibling (no needles or piercings involved!). There are more than 200 pressure points in the ear that correlate with conditions throughout the entire body, the beads simply apply a light pressure you barely feel. When you place the bead in a specific spot, you are triggering the nervous system to benefit various parts of the body that correlate with each tiny spot. Like acupuncture, ear seeding works on the meridian system, which is a series of energetic pathways that are found throughout the body, stimulating certain points on the ears will help with the flow of energy and restore balance in the body.

 What are the benefits of Ear Seeds?

According to TCM, every system of the body (digestive, respiratory, reproductive, hormonal, etc.) is energetically connected to pressure points on the ear, meaning activating those pressure points can provide everything from pain relief to less stress. Ear seeding is similar to auricular acupuncture (or ear acupuncture), which has been used for many benefits like decreased cortisol, fewer addiction cravings, better sleep, and healed pain. Many patients get ear seeding to help ease anxiety and stress, ear seeds are also a great way to help treat digestion issues, insomnia, weight issues, addiction, and chronic pain. They can work to benefit both the mind and body. 

How long do the effects last?

Ear Seeds stay in your ears for three to five days and can be easily pulled off. Just like most health practices, the results and length of effects depend on each individual body. Some people are incredibly responsive to ear seeding, so are likely see results the same day and the effect will last longer than those who may take a few applications to see a difference. Benefits can last during the days the ear seeds are on or even for weeks after.