How Often Should I Have Earwax Removal?

Do you wonder, “how often should I have earwax removal?” The answer is often dependent on your ears and how they behave.

Your ears are constantly producing earwax. As a result, many people need to have their ears cleaned regularly.

The amount of earwax you produce, the physical characteristics of your ears, the environment you typically work or live in, and even the weather can influence how often your ears need cleaning.

During your first visit, a discussion with your ear health practitioner will help establish a time frame for your next appointment.

Earwax Is Completely Normal

Earwax or cerumen production is a normal and healthy function. It protects your ears from foreign invaders. And it can stop or slow down dirt, bugs, water and anything else that might try to enter your ears.

Typically earwax is soft and sticky, and as it migrates out of your ear, it dries and becomes flaky. When everything is working as nature intended, earwax will come out on its own with regular skin migration. The skin in your ear canal is like a conveyor belt. Your earwax is constantly hitching a ride out of your ear on that conveyor belt.

Some People Produce Too Much Earwax

Sometimes your ears overproduce earwax, and it can’t migrate out fast enough. Or you might have a small ear canal that may obstruct earwax from exiting. Hair growing in or around our ears can also pose a problem for earwax trying to escape. There are other factors, but these three reasons are common contributors to earwax build-up and impaction.

The degree to which you have excess earwax or how slow it is from exiting your ears is unique to you. So there is no one size fits all answer to the question, “How often should I have earwax removal done?”

It is once a year for some people, and for others, it is four times a year. The good news is your ear nurse will help you figure out how often your ears need cleaning.