The ear canal is a self-cleansing structure - that's right - you don't need to clean your ear canals!
Earwax and dead skin are constantly moved outwards on its own, away from the eardrum. This is aided by jaw movements (e.g. when you talk or eat), which helps dislodge the wax.
Having some earwax is actually good for you as it contains good bacteria and does protect your ear from dirt and bacteria. Hence, do not be obsessed about having to clean your ears out!
The cotton bud is designed to clean the outer part of the ear and not for you to insert it into your ear canal. Most cotton buds are too big for the ear canal. If you insert the cotton bud in your ear canal, you will end up pushing the earwax deeper, where it does get jam-packed against your eardrum. Once this happens, the self-cleansing mechanism of your ear will fail. The skin of the ear canal is also very thin, hence it is easy to damage your ear canal skin with a cotton bud or ear pick, resulting in ear bleeding and infection.
I have seen broken cotton buds stuck in the ear canal and punctured eardrums as a result of ear digging. If you do have symptoms from earwax buildup (e.g. blocked ears, ear pain or discomfort, and even tinnitus), it is best to consult your doctor.
To find out more about earwax buildup and how to deal with it, do read my previous article on Human here.
Hope this helps and all the best!
