What is earwax — and should you get rid of it? - Henry C. Ou
Investigating a nearly 5,000-year-old
Sumerian burial site,
archaeologists came across intriguing
sets of artifacts.
They judged them to be toiletry kits
comprising pointed tools, tweezers,
and ear scoops.
In fact, grooming paraphernalia,
including earwax removal tools,
have popped up in many different
archaeological sites—
and earwax evacuation remains
a popular hygienic habit today.
But what is earwax?
And are the efforts to eliminate it
actually good for us?
Well, to start, we’re not alone
in our waxy ways.
Other mammals also produce earwax.
A 12-year-old blue whale was discovered
with an earwax earplug
that was 25 centimeters long.
Earwax— technically called cerumen—
forms in our outer ear canals.
There, skin cells slough off and mix
with other substances, including sweat.
But the sweat inside our ears
doesn’t function to cool us off
like the kind that comes out of the
eccrine glands dotting our bodies.
Instead, it comes from apocrine glands,
like those in our armpits, and is oilier.
Dead skin and oily sweat mix with sebum—
the fatty oil that’s also found on our
faces and scalps—
and voila: it’s earwax.
But earwax ranges in odor,
color, and consistency.
Some is flaky and dry;
other kinds are sticky and gooey.
A change in a single nucleotide
on one gene
determines which type you have
by affecting how much fat
your ear’s apocrine sweat glands secrete.
And the kind someone has
may track with their ancestry.
For example, drier earwax is common
among people with East Asian heritage,
while people of African and European
descent more often have wetter earwax.
Just to get this out of the way,
no human earwax— wet or dry—
would make a good candle.
Okay, but why have earwax at all?
Well, it seems these secretions actually
help keep our ears healthy.
Earwax can act as a lubricator that
prevents ear dryness and itchiness;
it traps debris and microbes
and forms a physical barrier
that protects the ear canal’s skin.
And it’s an active line of defense:
researchers have identified
several proteins in earwax
that combat bacterial infections.
Generally, the ear also has its own way
of getting rid of earwax.
As new skin cells form and grow
at the center of the eardrum,
they push the older ones
toward the opening of the ear canal,
forming a conveyor belt where dead skin
cells mix with those oily secretions.
Every day, the skin within the ear canal
migrates outwards about 100 micrometers.
Eventually, this process should
push the wax out of your ear.
Meanwhile, sticking items in your ears
to extract earwax yourself
can make things worse.
Even if swabbing removes
a little earwax,
it may push more back in.
And it can leave scratches
in the ear canal’s skin,
disrupting its natural barrier
against infections.
Deep cleaning also runs the risk
of perforating your eardrum,
which can cause permanent damage
and hearing loss.
Some services promise to clear earwax—
but should be avoided.
Ear candling or coning involves
a hollow candle lit on fire
and placed over the ear canal.
It’s claimed that this generates
enough air current to pull earwax out.
However, researchers have found that
the amount of suction generated is minimal
and that what’s visible at the end
is likely debris from the candle itself—
not extracted earwax.
In reality, the practice can lead
to injuries and leave debris in the ears.
But some folks are more prone
to earwax buildup,
and may find it becomes
more of an issue with age.
Earwax accumulation can be uncomfortable
and affect your hearing,
and there are definitely times
when intervention is needed.
But there are safer ways to go about it.
Over-the-counter eardrops
help soften earwax
so it can make its way out on its own.
And health care providers
have tried-and-true methods
of gently clearing blockages.
Otherwise, to prevent earwax buildup,
doctors recommend gently cleaning the
outside of the ear canal with a damp cloth
and giving your ears a break
from earplugs and earbuds when possible.
In the absence
of earwax obstructions, however,
it’s generally best not to mess
with the ways of the wax.
