Cauliflower ear was the basis for this whole website so the concept is something I hold dearly. I’m about to also share with you what it is, how I got it, my response, and what solution I would recommend in treating it. Feel free to skip right to the bottom of this article for the solution.
What is Cauliflower Ear?
Discretion* Note that what I am sharing is merely my experience with cauliflower ear in the following paragraphs and not medical advice. Please seek medical attention if you choose to do so.
I’m glad you asked! No it’s not some nasty infection of the ear or something edible.
It was what I referred to as “BJJ ear” because I couldn’t remember the proper term. In medical term it’s called a hematoma of the ear or swelling of the ear where blood is rushed into the area that received cartilage damage. The blood is what fills up the damage area making it look swollen looking like a cauliflower. You can see this deformity of the ear commonly on MMA fighters or BJJ practitioners. Some boxers or wrestlers also have cauliflower ears.
How Does it Occur and What are the Symptoms?
You can get it through repetitive irritation to it often in contact sports such as boxing, MMA, wrestling, or BJJ through direct force. Common ways of getting it in BJJ is through rolling with your classmates. When you roll you could be landing face plant diving ear first onto the mat HARD like I did – my hands and legs locked by my partner to brace myself. Someone could also accidently knock your ear with their dangling knee. Another common occurrence is when you try to pull your head out of a guillotine or headlock. Also during takedowns I would rub my ears against my partner which added to the damage.
After a couple of classes, both my ears turned red but in particular, my right ear became swollen. I didn’t know any better at the time and even took a nap on it and when I woke up it hurt! It was ringing and even something as common as putting on a shirt or taking off a shirt was a painful ordeal. Any type of pressure to it like just pinching it caused it to ache tremendously.
I Searched the Internet for Cauliflower Ear Pain Relief Treatment
So the next thing I did was direly look up information about treating it because I didn’t even want to bring it up in class fearing that people will judge me and think that I am weak and crying like a baby. So I scoured all the YouTube videos I could find on it.
What I found was that there were many videos showing how to drain the cauliflower ear but few talked about compressing it properly. There was one and only one video in particular that demonstrated the use of magnets so then I created my own how to video. Others had mentioned using a hair pin or small chips clip.
There were also recommendations for products sold on Amazon but quite few far in between as this is apparently a new market; products to treat cauliflower ear. Another product recommended was to wear ear guards.
Another video recommends seeing a specialist such as an ENT Doctor but at the same time I hear many horrors story of going to one because of the costs and time but also that people’s ears were worst off because the Doctor would make incisions to it than if they were to drain it. And even if the Dr. does drain it couldn’t you just do this yourself and save the time and money?
The consensus was to drain the swollen ear 2-3 times a day which was ridiculous to me but colleagues have also suggested this and done this themselves but again, most videos don’t talk about compression which is key to keeping the ears from swelling up again and again.
The Method of Cauliflower Ear Treatment I Tried
I didn’t know it at the time but I took action after a couple of days of research. I even broke the news to a couple of blue belts to get their opinion and they said the same thing to drain it and that they can offer to drain it for me or you can DIY.
So after gathering the essential tools from Walgreens and Walmart I drained it for the very first time and there was a huge sense of pain relief because I saw the cauliflower ear had deflated drastically while the pain went away. Since I was still going to class and doing heavy cardio it would swell up again. This one video also suggests taking about a week or two off from BJJ class but I didn’t listen because I didn’t want to miss class.
I noticed how the fluid would keep coming back – it’s just how it is when you get a hematoma. Your body wants to fill in the gap but since no video really emphasized the need to compress it, many BJJ practitioners who get it drain it repeatedly more than they need to if only they compressed their ear.
Even in the comments section of YouTube videos when people figure they need to compress it no one knew how long to compress it. Also which tool is the proper way to compress the ear? Should you use magnets, a hair pin, or chip bag? Compression keeps the front and back skin of the ear together.
Out of desperation, I tried the magnet method of putting two magnets between my ears and then taping it around leaving it on for two days straight (48 hours) while waiting for my order of Caulibuds and ear guard from Amazon. Not only did the magnets not work but it gave me a cut!
My Recommendation for Cauliflower Ear Treatment & Prevention
After draining this one hematoma of the right ear for about 17 times 3 weeks in with no success, my right cauliflower ear started to hardened; I could no longer could I drain any excess blood from it. It still looked puffy but not as bad.
There’s a time limit of 3 weeks before the cauliflower hardens so as soon as you get cauliflower ear order what you need ASAP online and hit the drug store for the right tools for treatment.
It was already too late when my Caulibuds and ear guard came in the mail, although I still tried the Caulibuds on to savage what I could of my cauliflower ear hoping it would lessen the damage. The difference between regular magnets compared to CauliBuds is that CauliBuds are covered in silicone so it doesn’t cut your ear when left on for a long duration. Also they come in two sizes to fit your needs.
Check out my review of Caulibuds here.
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The solution was clear after my trial:
- Drain the ear
- Compress it (with Caulibuds) for at least two days or when it heals
- STOP going to class (avoid any strenuous heavy cardio)!
- Wear ear guards
If you decide to go to BJJ class anyway, put on the compression magnets underneath your ear guards.
Personally, I would add to recommendation to wear ear guards all the time when rolling despite being what others think. Just own up to it. There are more benefits to protecting your ears than to get it looking jacked up.
So there you have it – my process and a clear guide to cauliflower ear treatment without any missing information from my honest first-hand experience. This is a comprehensive guide I wish I had found when I was in frantic about the whole grappler’s dilemma.
Ossu!