Ear stapling represents a popular, yet controversial new trend for preventing migraines, weight gain and stress-related illnesses. It also allegedly helps people quit smoking.
Freshman industrial engineering major Krystal Long said all the women in her family have gotten their ears stapled, including herself. Long got her ears stapled over the Christmas break in Batesville, Ark.
“I got it done for migraines, and I haven’t had one all semester,” Long said.
Long has also lost seven pounds since the procedure was completed.
Long paid $25 for each ear to be stapled. Her ear-stapling procedure was performed by certified acupuncturists.
“You need to be a medical doctor,” Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure executive director Dr. Mal Morgan said. “I can write you up a piece of paper and say you’re licensed to perform acupuncture, but you have to go for a week’s worth of training. [The procedure] can be dangerous.”
The Mississippi Board of Medical Licensure has already served 35 businesses across the state with orders to close their doors.
Morgan’s chief criticism of the procedure stems from the unusually high amount of infections reported through ear stapling. The infections could be from unsterilized medical equipment or from the location of the area being punctured.
“Usually piercings are just done in soft tissue. These are done in cartilage, and it’s much more difficult to treat because of the decreased blood flow to the region,” Morgan said.
Junior family studies major Betsy Egger said she believes the procedure is safe as long as the instruments used are sterile. One of Egger’s relatives even got her ear stapled.
“My aunt got the ear stapling done a couple of weeks ago, but she hasn’t lost any weight yet,” Egger said.
Long’s staples look like piercings on the cartilage of her ear, near the ear canal. She said the tool used during the procedure looks like nothing more than a small stapler.
“You hear three clicks. On the third click, the staple goes into your ear,” she said.
Long said the procedure felt like the equivalent to getting a piercing.
Acupuncture and alternative medicine practitioner Dr. Janette Zurawski said many have a misconception that the procedure is akin to piercing.
“It’s considered a medical procedure because it actually goes into the patient’s cartilage,” Dr. Zurawski said. “The location of the piercing somehow affects how much you eat.”
Like any diet, it is crucial for people with stapled ears to exercise regularly.
Morgan believes only two things lead to weight loss.
“Unfortunately the only way that’s been proven for weight loss is diet and exercise,” Morgan said. “[With this procedure] you run the risk of getting an infection. Our job is to protect the public, but to do that we have to educate the public.”
Long said she hasn’t been told the procedure was dangerous.
“I haven’t heard anything negative about it. All I’ve heard are positive things,” she said.