Ear wax – What is it?

Ear wax is made from oil and sweat produced inside the ear canal which is then mixed with dead skin and hairs.

Why do we have it?

Wax forms a protective acidic coat. Normal ear wax makes the canal waterproof and has a natural protection against infections. Wax is only made in the outer ear canal, and makes a sticky mound that keeps out water and traps dust and insects.

How do ears clean themselves?

New skin cells are constantly made in the middle of the eardrum. Skin cells take six months to gradually migrate out to the ear canal entrance. It is actually quite surprising because the skin lining moves out like a conveyor belt. New wax drops onto the skin making it waterproof and becomes a protective layer against infections. The wax at the entrance dissolves the skin. As it moves out of the ear canal entrance we are able to just wipe away today’s wax.

What colour should it be?

Most people have golden brown coloured wax, but the colour of people’s ear wax can vary from almost colourless grey to nearly black. All wax becomes darker over time.

What is normal wax?

There are many types of wax. When there is a high skin content it can be very hard. If it is mostly wax it can be very runny and soft. Some people’s wax is dry and flaky and in some it is extremely sticky. Normal wax has no smell.

Why do some people get a wax build up and others don’t?

All ear canals have curves, these protect the ear drum when objects enter. Some people have more severe curves than others. As we age the outer canal drops with the wrinkle process (so even our ears get wrinkles!) but the bony inner canal remains the same, this causes the ear canal entrance to become oval, therefore more narrow. At the same time as we age our skin production slows down tending to make wax thicker and stickier – so it’s no wonder it gets stuck!

Because wax glands are modified sweat glands, the same things that make you sweat (fear, anxiety, stress) can also make your wax glands pump out extra wax.

Wax softening agents (Cerumenolytics)

• soften and liquify ear wax
• are not recommended before micro suction
• many of them are irritant to the ear canal and should only be used for 2 days
• should always be used prior to ear syringing
• expensive preparations are no more effective than the simple inexpensive solution

TOLBECS recommends that NO wax drops are to used before your consultation:

• wax drops cause a deaf, mushy uncomfortable ear
• drops confuse the diagnostic view
• melted wax often moves to cover the ear drum and creates a temporary deafness
• molten wax makes removal more difficult, time consuming and noisy for the client