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Cauliflower Ear: What IS That Stuff?

What exactly IS wrong with Randy Couture's ear?!? Beauty is in the eye - and for some, the ear - of the beholder. Read on for more details about cauliflower ear.

val worthington, valerie worthington, bjj, mma, brazilian jiu jitsu, grappling

Written by Valerie Worthington Last updated on December 4, 2011

I’ve been writing for Breaking Muscle for about four months now and I can’t believe I haven’t thought to write about it before now. It looks variously like lima beans, embryos, a clenched fist, or ABC (already been chewed) gum. I am surrounded by people who have it. I have panicked when it started to crop up on me. It is called cauliflower ear, and it is a disfigurement of the ears resulting from friction, blows, or other hard contact as might occur in grappling, wrestling, boxing, or rugby. It can also be caused by piercing the upper part of the ear for decorative purposes.

Cauliflower ear occurs when the skin surrounding the ear becomes separated from the underlying cartilage; this can be a byproduct of the sports and activities mentioned above.1 The cartilage in the ear has no blood flow of its own and relies on what the skin provides. When this separation occurs, the blood flow is curtailed, resulting in redness and swelling. If left untreated, the cartilage subsequently dies, hardening and curling in on itself in a way that produces the tell-tale “cauliflower” appearance. This has aesthetic implications, particularly for people in professional contexts, and in severe cases it can also affect hearing, or even the ability to use a cell phone earpiece or earbuds.2

The condition can be prevented through the use of headgear that covers the ear during the offending activity. It can be treated by restoring the blood flow to the affected area through draining any accumulated fluid with a syringe and then applying pressure to prevent the fluid from accumulating again.3 If the ear hardens, plastic surgery may be necessary to restore a normal look.

However, especially given the increase in popularity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where cauliflower ear proliferates among practitioners, many male grapplers cultivate “the ear” as a badge of honor and of longevity in the sport. Its appearance is certainly distinctive, and apparently it impresses at least some of the ladies. Few of the female grapplers I know have it; personally, I actively prevent it, though I have a tiny bit of hardness on each ear.

So the next time you see someone with ears that look like mashed Silly Putty, keep in mind that s/he may actively participate in a combat sport. Be friendly—and speak loudly!

val worthington, valerie worthington, bjj, mma, brazilian jiu jitsu, grappling

About Valerie Worthington

Valerie Worthington has been moving her body since before she was born, for many reasons and with many outcomes. She really started to pay attention to how, when, and why her body moves when she began training in Brazilian jiu jitsu in 1998. From then on, she became hugely invested in educating herself about how to optimize her body movement for BJJ and how to support it in doing so. She has observed that these endeavors require her to invest herself not only physically, but also mentally, emotionally, and psychologically, fueling a particular interest in the influence on her life of these dimensions of athletic activity.

Valerie has developed as a BJJ practitioner via her own training and competition preparation, teaching and coaching other practitioners, and writing about her life as a jiu jitsu devotee through the lens of her education, personal experiences, and professional background. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, and a doctorate in educational psychology from Michigan State University. She is a first-degree black belt in BJJ, as well as co-founder and proprietor of Groundswell Grappling Concepts. She trains at Princeton Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Princeton, New Jersey.

Most recently, Valerie is the author of How to Love a Grappler: A Guide for People Who Love People Who Love Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

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