I was just wondering how many of you have heard of this for weight loss and/or smoking. My daycare workers have just heard of it and GET THIS a nail tech in my hometown is doing it for $20 every Saturday. I'm not sure if she is the actual one performing it but it is done in her beauty shop. They are thinking of having it done. I asked my mom about it--she still lives there--and she has couple of coworkers who had it done. One has had great success and the other said it was a waste of her $20. Now Mom's chiropractor does it for $50 and when I did a search for it, I had to weed through all those stupid things that are like spam where it takes you to another search site. I finally found a couple of things on it. I found it is called Auriculotherapy or accupuncture of the ear. I also read that there are only 3 docs in Oklahoma and Texas who have been properly trained in inserting the staple.
Here is a link to what the staple looks like Ear Staple

This goes back to Howie's thing and everyone looking for a simple solution to drop a ton of weight with little to no effort. I finally told the one asking me about it that it sounds like a placebo effect to me but that if it works for you then that is awesome. If not then you are just out $20--way less than what you normally pay for a carton of cigs (she wants it mostly to quit smoking).

This is an old "fad" ... I think it's been around since at least the '70s. Like Atkins.

I have heard of that too. But a long time ago. I think most of us like to believe that somewhere out there is a "cure", a magic fix. But...we know deep down inside the truth. We already have the fix, in our heads. We all know how to do this.

Ay yi yi. The lengths people will go to to avoid looking in the mirror.....

It just seemed hokie to me too but it's really gaining popularity around here. A coworker just told me there are even skinny girls in high school and junior high wanting it done.

I have never heard of that. Very strange!

I wonder what the "science" behind that is. (Notice I put "science" in quotations..lol)

What makes people think that a staple in your ear would make you lose weight?

I think the idea is that it's an accupuncture spot for appetite suppression.

Ouch! that looks uncomfortable and painful. Of course I'm picturing someone holding a staple gun to someone's head though. lol

What I find amusing is that acupuncture is great! (IMO) But it is NOT a nail tech putting a staple in your ear for $20. There are acupuncture (and acupressure) spots for appetite supression but it's not and end all be all AND going to be accomplished with this. Sigh!

Ow ow ow ow ow. No! No! That looks SO painful! I would rather wear an electric shock collar. Now hey! Theres an idea.......

OMG no way would i ever do that!!! i've never heard of it but i'd rather stick to the less painful ways of losing weight. LOL

I just heard of this today!!

I was talking to one of my co-workers about wanting to lose weight and she pulled back her hair and showed me her ear staple!!

It doesn't really look too bad, not gross at all, as a matter of fact, if she hadn't made a point of showing it to me, I don't think I ever would've noticed it. She and her daughter both had it done (in Texas) in Sept of last year. She said that it's helped both of them. She said the main way it has helped her is that it has reduced her cravings for certain types of food (mainly sugar).

Can't say I wouldn't ever have it done.

I've got my ears AND nose pierced but unfortunately they haven't helped my dieting at all.

Seriously though, I'm not a particularly sweet-toothed person. The food I crave is generally fatty stuff like, chips, crisps, butter, fried chicken, and cheese.

I recall reading quite a while ago about patches (like nicotine or HRT ones) that supposedly help reduce cravings for fat but I've never heard any more about them.

Now, this is a trip down memory lane. When I was 10 in the 70's, my Mom took me to an accupuncturist who put a pressure point spot on my ear with a tiny piece of metal. The idea was to trigger appetite suppression and to push it each time I was hungry. Did it hurt? No. Did it help? No. The mind is a wonderful tool though and if you think you can work it will and if you think it can't, it won't. Yikes....I just worried as an adult over what the sterilization techniques that acupuncturist used on me when I was just a small kid with 20 lbs to lose....Can you tell I work in health care ?!? I also wonder if my Mother hadn't been so obsessed about having a fat kid and just let me play sports and provide healthy food how things would have turned out. It must have been hard for a woman with a Marilyn Munroe figure and complete appreciation for the honorary status of slimness to have a pudgy kid. Not to blame Moms - I am one too. I just wished the concern could have been addressed in a good, wholesome and healthy way. Needles, staples, pins aren't the answer - but as has been said so well here - our mindset is.