Why Are My Ears Hairy?

According to Medical research on the function of ear hair is currently very scarce. Hair growth within the ear canal is often observed to increase in older men, together with increased growth of nose hair. Visible hair that protrudes from the ear canal is sometimes trimmed for cosmetic reasons.

Ear hair generally refers to the terminal hair arising from folliculary cartilage inside the external auditory meatus in humans.^[1] In its broader sense, ear hair may also include the fine vellus hair covering much of the ear, particularly at the prominent parts of the anterior ear, or even the abnormal hair growth as seen in hypertrichosis and hirsutism. Medical research on the function of ear hair is currently very scarce.

Hair growth within the ear canal is often observed to increase in older men,^[2]:206 together with increased growth of nose hair.^[3] Visible hair that protrudes from the ear canal is sometimes trimmed for cosmetic reasons.^[4]:97 Excessive hair growth within or on the ear is known medically as auricular hypertrichosis.^[5]:125 Some men, particularly in the male population of India, have coarse hair growth along the lower portion of the helix, a condition referred to as "having hairy pinnae" (hypertrichosis lanuginosa acquisita).

What is ear hair called?

The cochlea is a snail-shaped, fluid-filled structure in the inner ear. ... Hair cells are located on the basilar membrane of the cochlea. The cilia (the hair) of the hair cells make contact with another membrane called the tectorial membrane.

Why do ears have hair?

Some people get more hair in and on their ears as they age -- especially men. Doctors think it may be because of increased testosterone. This hormone makes hair coarser and thicker as it grays. The hair just inside your ear works with earwax to keep dirt and debris away from your eardrum.

Is it normal to have hair on your ears?

For the most part, having some ear hair (even what may look like a lot) is perfectly normal and isn't cause for worry. That said, occasionally too much ear hair can crowd and clog the ear canal.

How do I stop hair from growing on my ears?

Before removing ear hair, clean your ears to remove wax or debris. Use an ear hair trimmer to gently remove hair, or turn to other options like waxing or laser hair removal. Avoid using scissors, tweezers, or depilatory creams, as they can all cause damage to your ear canals.

How Do You Get Rid of It?

1.     Shave: For the cost of a razor and some shaving cream, you can shave it off. ...

2.     Pluck: Use tweezers to grab the base of a strand of hair and pull it out. ...

3.     Wax: Use either cold or hot wax to remove hair and keep it off for 2–8 weeks. ...

4.     Hair removal cream: Also called depilatories.

Why does hair grow on ears as you age?

Liebovitz says some types of hair develop anagen sensitivity as we grow older. The long term exposure of hair follicles to hormones such as testosterone will disrupt and lengthen their growing period. That's why nose, ear, and eyebrow hair can reach troll-doll proportions without regular trimming as we age.