Sticking my hair into my ear really calms me - is that weird?

[Backtothe80splease]

I’m strange, I know but it’s something I’ve done since childhood and still do it now at 51.

I have suffered with anxiety and panic disorder since I was a small child and have always found that if I take the ends of some of my hair and gently poke it into my ear canal it really calms me. Sounds weird but it kind of puts me in a trance.

Does anyone else do anything like this? Why would it calm me so much?

It's something that soothed your in childhood so it makes sense that it still works.

Wow. I just tried that and it’s intense. I hadn’t realised how many nerve endings are in the ear canal. It made my chattery adhd brain shut up for a second.

I'm waiting for an ADHD assessment, this is exactly what it does for me, it shuts my never ending chatter off for those few moments, it's bliss.

My daughter has done this all her life , she is 17 and severely autistic, I assumed she was trying to block noise out as she won’t wear ear defenders but from reading this thread I can see it’s more of a self soothing stimming behaviour 🙂

I think it is, it really puts me in a trance and blocks out my stresses.

I have been struggling with my mental health a lot recently and have just been to the supermarket which was packed, kids screaming, loud noises, bright lights etc. I couldn't wait to get out and when we were driving home the only thing which calmed me was for me to do my ear thing. I can see why your daughter does it too, hard to explain what it does but it grounds me.

I was deathly ashamed of this my whole life. I am so amazed to find this thread of people discussing it lightly! One post said they tried to do it but couldn’t quite make out how. So I am signing up just to answer. Your hair must be long enough to make a loop; then you introduce the rounded end of the looped strands into the ear. Now you can move it around!! 😗I hope that made sense!

Just tried it and it did nothing for me. Kinda disappointed.
I was hoping it would be some hitherto untapped source of joy.

Just so everyone knows you can't damage the ear drum by putting hair in your ear. Given these considerations, it is highly improbable that a pinch of hair could create a hole in the eardrum under normal circumstances. While hair may cause irritation if lodged in the ear canal, it lacks the necessary characteristics to perforate such a resilient structure as the tympanic membrane without additional contributing factors.

Yes I definitely definitely definitely take a piece of paper and tear a piece off so it has a point on the end. Usually candy bars wrappers are best to tear a piece off 5lso it has a point and I use it to tickle my face lips my nose around my nose. It tickles even more right after I shave. I love putting my hair in my ear and let it sit in my ear and it will start tickling so bad and it definitely feels amazing. So I don't think it's weird. I definitely definitely definitely enjoy it. If you haven't tried it give it a try you won't be disappointed. You will love it guaranteed!!!

That's good to know. I have tinnitus and often wonder if that was caused by my hair poking obsession!

IIRC part of the sensory supply to the ear canal comes from the vagus nerve so there probably is a physiologic basis for it being a self-soothing technique.

That is very interesting indeed @Greybeardy. Thank you so much!

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nerve

I definitely definitely definitely agree. Take a few pieces of hair and leave it in your ear for a little bit and OMG it definitely definitely definitely will start tickling. Try keeping in your ear and so how long you can hold it in your ear it will feel amazing, see how long you can stand at. I'm doing it right now OMG I had tý5o stop and do it again I tried to hold it in but I wasn't able to hold it that long as it TICKLED!!!! I did hold it as long as I could. It felt so GOOD 👍🏼 @!!! TRY it out you will be amazed!!!!

I do the same and definitely definitely definitely love the tickling feeling. I leave my hair sit in my ear until it tickles and I keep it in my ear as long as I can as it is tickling so good!!! Have you done this before as well? If you also get hair stuck in ear I have a ear otoscope camera so I can see it to get it out then continue doing it. Let me know if you are still doing this still today? Enjoy so glad I'm not the only one. Have a blessed wonderful amazing safe enjoyment.

I do this as well. I am bipolar and it calms me too. I started doing it to scratch an itch deep in the canal, and I found I like the way it sounds. My doctor told me my eardrums protrude, but she didn't say why, and I don't know if it's related to putting hair into my ears

I've not heard of this before, but I do have what I think is trichotillomania. Would love to beat the compulsion. It's senseless, (damages the hair) but persistent once it hits.

Try getting the end of your hair wet and that helps me, in fact it would tickle more if you leave your hair inside your ear if it's wet it's a lot better because as it dries in your ear, your hair will start slowly expanding and oh man that's when it tickles even more. OMG IM DOING IT RIGHT NOW, IT IS TICKLING, I'm trying to hold it in my ear and not stop the tickle. It's amazing. Sorry, but yeah your hair will expand inside your ear as it dries and when it expanded it is touching the nerve endings of the inside of the ear as thats what makes the tickling effect. I so do love the feeling. If anyone hasn't tried it, you definitely definitely definitely don't know what you are missing. Thank you for reading this and please enjoy the feeling of your ear tickling.

TC TUNA

I definitely definitely definitely enjoy wetting the end of the hair and put it in ear and let it sit in my ear as it starts to dry the hair expands and it is lightly touching inside and when it touches the nerves ending and it starts to tickle even more. I let it sit in my ear as long as possible hold on it will definitely definitely definitely start feeling amazing and tickle try not to itch see how long you can stand it. The longer the better. It is amazing I'm doing it right now and it is tickling WOW, it gets feeling AMAZING!!! Also, I bought a ear camera aka ostoscope so I can see if I get a hair stuck in my ear and when I do, I do it soft I get it out even when its on my ear drum. I have never ever damaged my eardrum. The eardrum is like sticky stretchy like and its thin but if you are careful you can do it and not puncture your eardrum, just be careful. Be careful and enjoy the feeling. If you haven't 👍 tried it give it a shot, don't knock it unless you have tried it. Don't be ashamed, it is relaxing well at least it is for me. If you don't like it, I'm sorry but I definitely definitely definitely enjoy it. Have a great day and please let me know if you tried doing it this way let me know what you think.

Sincerely,
tctuna49686

I definitely definitely definitely enjoy wetting the end of the hair and put it in ear and let it sit in my ear as it starts to dry the hair expands and it is lightly touching inside and when it touches the nerves ending and it starts to tickle even more. I let it sit in my ear as long as possible hold on it will definitely definitely definitely start feeling amazing and tickle try not to itch see how long you can stand it. The longer the better. It is amazing I'm doing it right now and it is tickling WOW, it gets feeling AMAZING!!! Also, I bought a ear camera aka ostoscope so I can see if I get a hair stuck in my ear and when I do, I do it soft I get it out even when its on my ear drum. I have never ever damaged my eardrum. The eardrum is like sticky stretchy like and its thin but if you are careful you can do it and not puncture your eardrum, just be careful. Be careful and enjoy the feeling. If you haven't 👍 tried it give it a shot, don't knock it unless you have tried it. Don't be ashamed, it is relaxing well at least it is for me. If you don't like it, I'm sorry but I definitely definitely definitely enjoy it. Have a great day and please let me know if you tried doing it this way let me know what you think.

Sincerely,
tctuna49686

I used to know someone who got seriously turned on by having their ears syringed! If tickling your ear canals makes you feel calm, it’s a great solution.

I've been doing it since childhood. My pets have always have the perfect hair for it, and I have gotten my best friend in on it, and they let me do it for them. We call it "ear crunch time" or "ear hair time".

Maybe try it longer and leave your hair in your ear longer. It did that to me a few times but when I left it in my ear longer it definitely definitely definitely helped. Good luck