Earwax Types | Different Kinds of Ear Wax (2024)

FAQs

Earwax Types | Different Kinds of Ear Wax? ›

The two main types of earwax are dry and wet. Dry earwax is flaky and gray or tan. Wet earwax is sticky and yellow or brown.

The two main types of earwax are dry and wet. Dry earwax is flaky and gray or tan. Wet earwax is sticky and yellow or brown.

Green earwax or earwax with a foul smell is also an indication of an infection. If there is blood in your earwax, this could be a sign of an injury to the ear or a ruptured eardrum. Gray or black earwax usually means there is a buildup of dust in the ear or impacted earwax.

Healthy earwax color and texture can greatly vary. The ears are self-cleaning, and the best way to take care of them is often to leave them alone. However, too much wax can build up deep within the ear canal and cause a blockage. This may lead to partial hearing loss and put the person at risk of other complications.

Earwax that picks up a lot of debris or sits in the ear canal for a long time can get hard and dry, so it's more likely to cause a blockage. Conditions that produce a lot of dry, flaking skin, like eczema, can also result in hard earwax.

Dry earwax, on the other hand, is less common and is produced in smaller amounts. It is flaky and brittle and can be yellow, grey, or brown in colour. Dry earwax is not as effective as wet earwax in trapping foreign particles and is more likely to cause blockages in the ear canal.

Apply gentle pressure and engage in slow, circular motions to help dislodge the earwax. While massaging, integrate some earlobe tugging. Open and close your mouth while doing so.

Still, you should call a healthcare provider if you notice impacted earwax symptoms like ear pain, dizziness or hearing loss. Some people produce more earwax than other people and may need routine treatments to remove it.

You also can try hydrogen peroxide mixed with an equal amount of room temperature water. Place 2 drops of the fluid, warmed to body temperature, in the ear two times a day for up to 5 days. Once the wax is loose and soft, all that is usually needed to remove it from the ear canal is a gentle, warm shower.

Dark brown earwax that is tinged with red may signal a bleeding injury. Light brown, orange or yellow earwax is healthy and normal. Children tend to have softer, lighter-colored earwax. White, flaky earwax indicates you lack a body-odor producing chemical.

Will warm water flush out ear wax? ›

Once earwax naturally moves toward the opening of the ear canal, it typically falls out or washes away. Washing your hair is usually enough to remove the wax on your ear's surface. During a shower, a small amount of warm water enters the ear canal and loosens any wax accumulated there.

In some cases, a hardened lump of wax can form in the canal, which can make it difficult to hear in that ear or even trap bacteria and cause an infection. If this happens, don't stick anything inside the ear to try to remove the wax yourself. Doing so could cause permanent hearing damage.

If the aim is to completely break down the wax, waxsol, peroxide 3% or a sodium bicarbonate solution (which can be prepared by your local pharmacist) is effective.

People should not poke anything into the ear to remove earwax, but gently dripping hydrogen peroxide, ear drops, or baby oil into the ear will soften the wax, which may cause it to come out. Earwax, also called cerumen, serves an essential function in the body.

If earwax buildup continues, you may need to visit your health care provider once or twice a year for regular cleaning. Your health care provider may also recommend that you use earwax-softening agents such as saline, mineral oil or olive oil. This helps loosen the wax so that it can leave the ear more easily.

Relatively safe cleaners include mineral oil and cleaning drops containing peroxide. “If you must clean your ears yourself, the least dangerous method will be with a bulb syringe and water,” says Dr. Sarow. Filling the syringe with water and squeezing it near your ear opening releases the water to flush out the wax.

Wet wax (honey coloured, sticky wax) is more common amongst Caucasians and Africans, while dry wax (white or grey and flaky) is more common in those of Asian descent. Most of the types of ear wax that you will notice are completely normal and nothing to be concerned about.

If your earwax is dark brown or red-tinged, this could be a sign of an injury within the ear. This could range from a minor scratch in the ear canal to a ruptured eardrum.

Hard vs.

soft ears can be categorized this way: Hard ears, also known as “petrified ears,” are created through calcification of the auricular cartilage, usually because of trauma, frostbite or inflammation. Soft ears, a term that really refers to soft cartilage in the outer ear, are more common in infants.