Trending Ear Seeds: Do They Really Work?

Ear Seeds are small beads that are affixed to acupuncture points on the ears for the purpose of acupressure. Acupressure is the manual stimulation of acupuncture points. Ear seeds are commonly used because the ear is easily accessible and also contains a map of the entire body on it. Ear seeds can be worn for a few days at a time and help carry over some of the effects of your regular acupuncture treatments. Acupressure and ear seeds are non-invasive while Acupuncture involves the use of needles and is minimally invasive.

Many studies on auricular acupuncture show that vagal tone was achieved. (He et. al 2012) Vagal tone refers to a key part of your parasympathetic nervous system responsible for relaxation and rest. A specific study on ear acupressure from 2020 (Gol et. al) was done on participants who were about to receive surgery, in order to reduce their stress levels beforehand. This study’s results showed a reduction of serum cortisol levels in those who received ear acupressure before their procedure. A 2013 study looked at the use of ear seeds and heart rate variability (HRV) for insomnia. It was found that heart rate decreased significantly during and after acupressure on acupoint ear shenmen, which is known for its calming effects. HRV also increased during stimulation. (Wang, et. al) An increase in HRV indicates your body’s ability to self-regulate during stress.

Do They Work?

Yes ear seeds do work! When you consider what the studies show, you want to consider having ear seeds applied for conditions related to your nervous system. Conditions such as: anxiety, insomnia, difficulty with regulating stress, digestive issues that are especially triggered or worse with stress, pain and headaches. When it comes to pain, though the ear seeds may not do much to heal an acute injury, it does help to increase circulation to that part of your body and can take the edge off your pain whether it is chronic or acute.

I personally, LOVE ear seeds. I wear them once in a while and I always notice when I’m in busy mode, that my ear seeds will become really tender. It’s like a little reminder that whenever I have them on and I become very busy my nervous system is not feeling overwhelmed or anxious and the ear seeds are helping me. My fitbit also rates my HRV as higher and my sleep as deeper when I use ear seeds or ear acupuncture more regularly.

Myths About Ear Seeds on Social Media

Ear seeds are making their rounds trending on social media which means its time to be more clear on certain things! Please do not think of ear seeds as a quick fix or hack for anything. Chinese Medicine has been around for thousands of years and it has stood the test of time. There are no hacks in this medicine. Ear seed treatments will not reduce your facial puffiness or perform lymphatic drainage on your face or your body. Acupuncture and massage can help with these conditions! Ear seeds are not a one-time treatment. They are often given as an adjunct to your regular acupuncture visits. Now this does not mean they cannot be used without acupuncture but because acupuncture is minimally invasive and does penetrate the skin, means it does have a stronger and longer lasting effect. Ear seeds are still very effective at creating circulation and activating acupuncture points but they are generally do not have as strong of an effect as acupuncture. If you are planning on receiving ear seed treatments you should also plan to have continued treatment on a regular basis - just like with acupuncture. Wearing them only one time will not solve a long-term issue.

I have also seen Tik Tok videos that seem to come out of Asia where someone is wearing 20-30 ear seeds at once! This actually looks so wild to me —a regular practitioner that uses ear seeds. More is not better no matter what the internet or untrained Tik Tokers try to tell you! I typically use 1-4 seeds on each ear. Using so many ear seeds can actually be uncomfortable for the wearer and can cause overstimulation.

Please see a licensed acupuncturist for your ear seeding needs! There are so many points, very close together on the ears. A trained professional will be able to distinguish and locate the points differently presenting and shaped ears. Always be critical of what you consume on the internet. As AI becomes more prevalent, we will all be more prone to misinformation and fake news.

What You Need To Know About Ear Seeds

Ear seeds come in many different types and styles these days. The seeds or beads can be vaccaria seeds, magnets or made of surgical steel, silver or gold. Those allergic to certain metals should check with the practitioner before receiving them. More stylish type of ear seeds will be covered with rhinestones, pearlized materials or other embellishments. These are just for decoration and do not change the treatment. They just make it more fun for the wearer.

Wear your ear seeds for approximately 3-5 days. When you use ear seeds decorated by rhinestones, be sure to check if your ear seeds are not still on after 5 days as the rhinestone portion might have fallen off on its own. After a few days of removing them, it is a good time to receive another set by your acupuncturist.

Ear seeds are only affixed to your ears by an adhesive tape. They may fall out on their own due to regular hygiene and cleaning.

If your ear seeds feel over stimulating or too sensitive, you can remove them on your own sooner than later. Be sure to speak with your acupuncturist about this.

You can apply ear seeds on your own using ear seed kits, however learning the locations can be a bit challenging.

Applying pressure on ear seeds is not always necessary but it can help to further stimulate the points. Please do so with only gentle pressure as pressing too hard can break the skin barrier.

If you want to receive an ear seed application from me, please refer to this information.

This is not medical advice. Please speak with your medical doctor and/or practitioner about your unique situation.

You might also be interested in reading: Acupuncture and Heart Rate Variability, Why Am I Crying During Acupuncture, Acupuncture and Depression

Written by Dr. Emily Siy, DACM on 1/21/26, posted on 2/2/26

Sources

He, W., Wang, X., Shi, H., Shang, H., Li, L., Jing, X., & Zhu, B. (2012). Auricular acupuncture and vagal regulation. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012, Article 786839

Khanbabayi Gol, M., Payami, S., & Lot, A. (2020). Study of the effect of ear acupressure on stress and serum cortisol level before rhinoplasty surgery: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Medical and Biological Sciences, 7(2), 249–253.

Wang, L., Cheng, W., Sun, Z., Xu, Y., Cheng, G., Gaischek, I., Kuang, H., & Litscher, G. (2013). Ear acupressure, heart rate, and heart rate variability in patients with insomnia. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013, Article ID 763631