Cauliflower ear is something that all BJJ practitioners are wary of. Whilst some may wear their cauliflower ear with pride, others may see it as a negative. Traditionally in the workplace for instance, cauliflower ear can be seen as a sign of thuggery and is frowned upon. Whilst this viewpoint is shifting more in modern society, there are still those who look at cauliflower with negative connotations. With this in mind can cauliflower ear be prevented in BJJ?
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Genetics and rolling style
The short answer is yes. Firstly, some people are less genetically prone to catching cauliflower ear, or it may just be due to luck. Regardless, some people can get bad cauliflower ear after just a few months of training. However, some people can go years into black belt without getting it. In this sense, cauliflower ear prevention is a bit of a lottery. Of course, factors such as your BJJ style will also influence this.
For instance, those who favor pressure passing and wrestling takedowns are probably more likely to get it. This is because this style is based around constant, grinding pressure with your head and so your ears are more likely to get hit. However, if you play a more distance-based game then cauliflower ear is probably less of an issue.
Protective head gear
A second way to avoid cauliflower is by wearing a skull cap. Although these may look ugly in the gym, they are effective and have been used in rugby and wrestling for years. The skull cap works by giving a protective layer on the ears. If you trained constantly whilst wearing this then you would probably never get cauliflower ear. This equipment is relatively cheap and is a long-term answer to avoiding cauliflower ear.
Icing and rest
Another method is by icing the ear as soon as the swelling becomes visible. For instance, sometimes your ears may get bruised which is usually ok. However, if they develop lumps then this means cauliflower ear is beginning to form. To counter this, you can ice the ears at home or even use magnets. This helps reduce swelling and may stop cauliflower in its tracks.
If you have the early stages of cauliflower you can even take time off until swelling goes down. This is because if your ear is starting to flare up, it may be more susceptible to adding even more cauliflower if it takes continuous hits. So, taking a week off or so is a good solution if you fear training may add to the swollen ear.
Blood Draining
Whilst this isn’t prevention, it can be a cure. Cauliflower ear is the result of hardened blood in the ear. Because of this, it is possible to drain the blood via syringe. There are multiple videos online which show how to do this, however please take medical advice.
This is because some people may apply the syringe to themselves and not do it properly. In some cases, this may actually add to the cauliflower ear and make it worse. We suggest getting it drained properly by a doctor. They can even stitch it up after the draining is done and this usually takes a few minutes. The results of this method (done by a doctor) can be very successful.
Often the ear can look completely normal afterward even if it looked bad before. Remember though, this should only be done in the early days of cauliflower and don’t expect it to work if the cauliflower has been hardened for months or years.
Ear Compression tools
These days, a method that is growing in popularity is using compression tools. Back in the day, people would press magnets against the ear to try and flatten the cauliflower and calm the inflammation down. Now, there are more sophisticated tools available.
An example of this is the Caulicure tool which uses compression discs. These stick in place and aren’t really invasive either. As a result, you can use these after training and it isn’t as gruesome as draining blood via a needle.
Surgery
Again, this is a cure rather than prevention. In some cases, you can opt for surgery when the cauliflower has completely hardened. This is not a massive procedure and doesn’t take long so you don’t even need anesthetic during the process. Here the doctor will basically do a more advanced version of draining the blood with a syringe. This can be done even years after having cauliflower ear. With this in mind, even terrible looking ears can be recovered years later with surgery.
Summary
There are several methods to prevent cauliflower ear as well as cure it completely. Whilst training you can wear a skull cap or avoid grinding pressure. Elsewhere you can use ice to stop swelling in the immediate aftermath. However, if cauliflower ear does become a long-term problem, then surgery is also an option. With this in mind, cauliflower ear can be prevented and cured whilst practising BJJ.
