Ear wax removal questions, answered

Ear wax, or cerumen, is a mix of oily secretions from glands in the outer part of the ear canal, dead skin cells and a little trapped dust. It isn't dirt. It keeps the skin of the canal from drying out, catches debris before it gets near the eardrum and helps protect against infection.

Our guide to what ear wax is and why it builds up explains where it comes from and why some people make more than others.

Usually not. Ear canals clean themselves: the skin grows slowly outwards and carries old wax with it, helped along by your jaw moving as you talk and eat. Wiping the outer ear with a flannel is all most people need.

Putting things into the canal, including cotton buds and fingers, tends to push wax deeper and can scratch the skin. We explain why in cotton buds and ear wax.

Some people simply make more. Others have narrow, hairy or curved ear canals that don't clear it well, and wax gets drier and harder with age. Anything that sits in the ear for hours, such as hearing aids, earplugs or earbuds, can stop it working its way out. So can regular cleaning with cotton buds.

If you are prone to build-up, read how often you might need wax removed.

Most colours are normal. Fresh wax tends to be pale yellow or honey-coloured and darkens to brown as it ages. Some people naturally have dry, grey or flaky wax, which is down to their genes.

Wax streaked with blood, a green or smelly discharge, or wax that comes with pain is worth showing a pharmacist or GP. There is more in ear wax colours and textures.

Impacted wax has packed tightly into the ear canal, often up against the eardrum, so it can't clear on its own. It is more common in older adults, hearing aid users and people who use cotton buds, and it can cause muffled hearing, a blocked feeling, earache or ringing.

Drops may soften it, but impacted wax often needs a clinician to remove it. See impacted ear wax: causes and treatment.

The usual signs are muffled hearing in one or both ears, a full or plugged feeling and itching, sometimes with earache, ringing or a little dizziness. Symptoms often start suddenly after a shower or a swim, because water can make wax swell.

The only way to be sure is for someone to look in your ear with an otoscope. A pharmacist, practice nurse or ear wax removal clinic can do that. Read more about the signs of ear wax build-up.

They can feel alike. Wax tends to cause gradual muffling and fullness without much pain. An outer ear infection (otitis externa) usually makes the ear sore, especially when you touch or pull it, and may cause a discharge. Middle ear infections are more common in children and often come with a high temperature.

If you have pain, discharge or a fever, see a GP or pharmacist before anyone removes wax. Our guide to telling wax from an infection sets out the differences.

Yes, although it is usually temporary. A plug of wax that fills the canal stops sound reaching the eardrum properly, which is a type of conductive hearing loss. Hearing normally comes back once the wax is out.

If your hearing is still reduced after the ear is clear, ask for a hearing test, because something else may be going on. See ear wax and hearing loss.

It can. Wax pressing on or near the eardrum sometimes brings on ringing, buzzing or a feeling of being off balance, and these often settle once the ear has been cleared.

Tinnitus that carries on for weeks, or dizziness that comes with other symptoms, needs a GP to assess it. Read ear wax and tinnitus and can ear wax make you dizzy?

Get medical advice first if you have sudden hearing loss, severe earache, discharge or bleeding from the ear, a high temperature, swelling around the ear, something stuck in the ear, weakness on one side of your face or severe dizziness. Sudden hearing loss should be seen urgently.

A wax removal clinic isn't the right place for these problems. The NHS page on earwax build-up has more on when to get help.

Often, yes. The NHS suggests putting 2 to 3 drops of medical grade olive or almond oil into the ear 3 to 4 times a day for 3 to 5 days. Over about 2 weeks, small lumps of wax may come out on their own, mostly at night while you are lying down.

Don't use oil if you think your eardrum may be perforated. If you still have symptoms after that, see a pharmacist, practice nurse or clinic. Our guide on how to use ear drops walks you through it.

There is no good evidence that one type clears wax better than another. Olive or almond oil is cheap and gentle. Pharmacies also sell drops containing sodium bicarbonate, which helps break wax down, and urea hydrogen peroxide, which fizzes as it softens it.

A pharmacist can suggest one that suits you. Stop and get advice if drops make your ear sore or irritated. See also olive oil for ear wax.

Warm the bottle in your hand for a few minutes first, because cold drops can make you feel dizzy. Lie on your side with the affected ear facing up, gently pull the outer ear up and back to straighten the canal, and let the drops run in. Pressing the small flap in front of the ear a few times helps them down.

Stay lying down for about 5 minutes, then wipe away any excess. Never push the dropper into the ear. There are more tips in our step-by-step guide to ear drops.

Not inside the ear canal. Cotton buds push most wax further in rather than taking it out, can pack it against the eardrum and may scratch the skin or, now and then, damage the eardrum itself. Use them on the outer ear only, if at all.

Read why cotton buds make a blockage worse.

No. There is no evidence that ear candling removes wax, and the NHS advises against it. The residue people find inside a candle afterwards is candle wax, not ear wax. Candles can burn the face, ear canal or eardrum, and dripping wax can block the ear.

We explain more on our page about Hopi ear candles.

Be cautious. Spiral tools and bulb syringes sold online have little evidence behind them, and it is easy to push wax deeper or scratch the canal when you can't see what you are doing. A camera scope can show you what is there, but seeing wax and removing it safely are different things.

If drops haven't worked, it is safer to let a trained clinician take a look. See home kits and ear cameras.

Microsuction removes wax with a fine suction tube while the clinician looks into your ear through magnifying loupes, a microscope or a small camera. Because they can see the canal the whole time, it is often used for hard or impacted wax, and no water goes into the ear.

Many private clinics now use it as their main method. Read how microsuction works.

They are related but not the same. Ear irrigation uses an electronic pump to send a controlled flow of warm water into the ear and wash softened wax out. Ear syringing was the older method, with a large metal syringe worked by hand and much less control over the pressure.

NICE guidance recommends electronic irrigation or microsuction and says manual syringing should not be used.

Both are in NICE guidance and both work well for most people. Microsuction is dry, and it is often the choice for hard wax, wax right up against the eardrum or when irrigation isn't suitable. Irrigation usually needs a few days of softening drops first, and it isn't used if you have a perforated eardrum, grommets, recent ear surgery or an active ear infection.

The clinician will suggest a method once they have looked in your ear. We compare them in microsuction vs irrigation.

In trained hands it is considered safe, and most people find it noisy rather than painful. The usual side effects are minor: a loud hissing while it works, brief dizziness, or an ear that feels a little sore for a day or so.

Rare risks include a small scratch to the skin of the canal, infection, tinnitus and injury to the eardrum. Tell the clinician straight away if anything hurts. Read is microsuction safe?

Some clinicians lift wax out with small instruments, such as a Jobson Horne probe, a curette or fine forceps, while looking into the ear. It works well for wax near the entrance of the canal and for dry flakes.

Mimikaki, a technique from Japan that uses a fine ear pick, is a form of manual removal offered by some clinics. It takes a trained hand, so please don't try it on yourself.

The removal itself usually takes a few minutes per ear, and the appointment around half an hour once you add the questions and checks. Hard or deeply impacted wax sometimes needs a few days of softening drops and a second visit.

The clinician will tell you if that is likely. See what to expect at your appointment.

First the clinician asks about your symptoms and your ear history, including any surgery, perforations, grommets or infections. Then they look in both ears with an otoscope, remove the wax using the method that suits your ears and check again at the end. Some clinics use a video otoscope, so you can see your ear on a screen.

Our step-by-step guide to the appointment covers each stage.

It depends on the clinic and the method. Many clinics can remove wax by microsuction without any drops, although a few days of olive oil can make hard wax easier to shift. Irrigation works better on wax that has been softened first.

Check with the clinic when you book and follow its advice. Our guide explains how to use ear drops if you are asked to.

Mention any ear surgery, a perforated eardrum now or in the past, grommets, recent ear infections, discharge or pain, and any drops you have been using. It also helps to say if you take blood-thinning medicine or tend to feel dizzy.

This helps them choose a safe method, or decide that you should see a GP first.

Most people notice straight away that sounds are louder and sharper, which can take a little getting used to. A slight ache, itch or dizziness for a short while is normal. Keep cotton buds out of your ears, and keep water out too for a couple of days if the clinician suggests it.

Contact the clinic or your GP if you get pain, discharge, bleeding, a high temperature or new hearing loss. See aftercare after wax removal.

Yes, in many areas. Some clinicians offer home visits, which can suit people who are housebound, live in a care home or find travelling difficult. They bring portable equipment and follow the same checks as in clinic.

Home visits usually cost more than a clinic appointment, and not every area is covered. Read home visit ear wax removal.

Prices vary with the clinic and the area. As a rough guide, many UK clinics charge somewhere between £45 and £100 for both ears, and home visits cost more. Some charge per ear, some per appointment, and some include a follow-up visit if the wax doesn't all come out first time.

Always check the price when you book. Our guide to ear wax removal costs explains what is usually included.

Sometimes. NICE guidance says ear wax removal should be offered in primary care or community services when wax is causing hearing loss or other symptoms, or stops a clinician examining the ear or taking an impression for a hearing aid. In practice many GP surgeries no longer remove wax, and what you can get depends on where you live.

Ask your GP practice first. We explain the options in ear wax removal on the NHS.

Removing wax takes nurse time and equipment, and many practices have decided not to offer it. Ear syringing, which a lot of surgeries used to do, is no longer recommended, and not every practice replaced it with irrigation or microsuction.

Some areas have a community ear care service instead. Your practice should be able to tell you what is available locally, even if it isn't at the surgery.

Yes. A pharmacist can talk through your symptoms, recommend softening drops and tell you whether you need to see someone else. Some pharmacies also offer a paid ear wax removal service, usually by microsuction or irrigation.

Ask your local pharmacy what it provides, or search for an ear wax removal clinic near you.

No. You can book with a private ear wax removal clinic directly. If you have symptoms that need a medical opinion first, such as pain, discharge or sudden hearing loss, see your GP before you book.

If you have a health cash plan or private medical insurance, check whether it covers ear wax removal before your appointment.

Children's ears usually clear themselves, and they rarely need wax removing. Earache, a high temperature, discharge or hearing problems in a child are more often caused by an infection or glue ear, so see a GP or pharmacist first.

Some private clinics do treat children, and many set a minimum age, so check before you book. Read ear wax in children.

Hearing aid users tend to build up more wax, because the aid or its dome stops wax moving out and can push it back in. Look out for whistling, an aid that sounds quieter or muffled, and wax guards that clog quickly.

There is no set rule. Many people find a check every few months helps, but go by your symptoms and your audiologist's advice. See ear wax and hearing aids.

Often, yes. Wax can hide the eardrum, affect test results and get in the way of taking impressions for earmoulds or custom aids. NICE lists these among the reasons to offer wax removal.

Ask the audiologist whether they want your ears clear, and book removal a few days before so there is time for a second visit if needed. See ear wax and hearing tests.

Yes. Wax tends to get drier and harder with age and the canal clears itself less well, so blockages are more common in older adults, especially those who wear hearing aids. A build-up can make existing hearing loss worse and conversations harder to follow.

Read ear wax in older adults for practical advice, including for carers.

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Or browse ear wax removal by town, for example London or Manchester. How it works goes through the whole process.

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If you would rather talk first, ring the clinic on the number shown on its page.

No. Searching for a clinic, reading clinic pages and sending a booking request or message are all free. You pay the clinic for your treatment, at the price it sets.

Our guide to ear wax removal costs gives an idea of typical prices.

No. Each clinic listed here is an independent business with its own team, and it is responsible for its own treatment, prices and opening times. We help you find a clinic and get in touch with it.

For questions about an appointment, contact the clinic directly. For anything to do with this website, get in touch with us.

We can't. Our ear care guides explain ear wax and its treatment in plain English, based on NHS and NICE guidance, but they can't tell you what is going on in your own ears.

For advice about your symptoms, speak to a pharmacist, your GP or NHS 111, or ask the clinician at your appointment.

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