Not at all. Ear wax varies drastically from person to person. It can be wet and sticky, dry and flaky, or solid and hard. Furthermore, everyone’s ear canals are different sizes, shapes, and curves.

Because your ears are asymmetrical, one ear might take 10 minutes to clear while the other takes 20. If we perform 12 microsuction ear wax removal procedures in a single day, every single one offers a completely unique clinical challenge.

If you wake up with a suddenly blocked ear, the good news is that Ross & Jamieson can often diagnose and treat you on the very same day.

A Note on Total Blockages: On rare occasions, we might not be able to clear the wax instantly on day one. The number one culprit behind this? Cotton buds.

The Golden Rule: Say No to Cotton Buds

As the old saying goes, never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear!

We strictly advise against using cotton buds for ear wax management. Your ear canal is only about a centimetre high. Pushing a thick cotton bud into it simply rams the wax deeper, packing it tight and making it heavily impacted.

Worse still, you run a very real risk of puncturing your ear drum. Your ear drum is just 0.1 mm thick—it is incredibly delicate and no match for a cotton bud.

If you find yourself needing regular ear wax cleaning (some clients need a visit every 3 months, while others only need it annually), it’s usually down to a few distinct factors:

• Natural Overproduction: Some genetics simply dictate a higher production of wax.
• In-Ear Devices: Wearing hearing aids, earplugs, noise protection, or wireless earphones blocks the natural migration of wax out of the ear.
• Ear Canal Anatomy: Narrow ear canals, or canals with a sharp “S-bend,” easily trap wax.
• Excessive Ear Hair: Wax can become tangled and caught in the hair within the canal.
• Environmental Elements: Working in highly dusty environments or wearing heavy occupational headsets.

Many GP surgeries still use traditional ear syringing or water irrigation. To do this safely, the wax must be incredibly soft. If the water pressure is directed incorrectly against hard wax, it can push the blockage further in or, in worst-case scenarios, rupture the ear drum, causing permanent hearing loss or severe vertigo.

Microsuction is entirely different. It involves gently pulling the wax out using a specialised medical vacuum.

• No Water, No Pressure: Because no liquid is jettisoned into the ear canal, there is zero risk of water pressure causing a perforation or triggering painful ear infections (otitis externa).
• Safe for Existing Conditions: If you have an underlying or hidden perforated ear drum masked by wax, syringing can cause severe pain and dizziness. Microsuction completely eliminates this risk.

Microsuction is a specialized skill that requires expensive, high-tech equipment and significant clinical space. It also takes time—up to 30 minutes for both ears—whereas a quick water syringe takes only seconds. Because GP resources are stretched thin, most surgeries simply cannot accommodate the time or equipment required for precision microsuction.

No, it is completely painless. When performed by a skilled clinician in a proper environment, it shouldn’t hurt at all. Most patients say it simply tickles a little as the gentle vacuum excites the tiny hairs in the ear. The most important thing you can do as a patient is simply relax and keep your head still.

Unlike GP surgeries that require weeks of intensive softening, 9 times out of 10 you do not need 2 weeks of oil before microsuction.

Using drops for just 1 or 2 days prior to your appointment at Ross & Jamieson is usually more than enough to lubricate the wax so our equipment can easily grip it. We highly recommend Earol—a natural, chemical-free olive oil spray.

This is a very common issue! When you put liquid drops into a partially blocked ear, the dry wax absorbs the fluid and expands like a sponge, completely sealing off the remaining airway. Alternatively, the softened wax can slide further down the canal and rest directly on your ear drum. This dampens the drum’s vibration, causing sudden, temporary hearing loss. Don’t panic—this just means it’s ready to be safely removed.

While gentle holistic treatments have their place in wellness, ear candling does not remove ear wax.

The brown residue left inside the candle after burning isn’t your ear wax—it is simply the beeswax of the candle itself changing colour as it burns. At Ross & Jamieson, we use advanced video otoscopes to show patients high-definition “before and after” footage of their ear canals. The proof is on the screen: ear candles may feel relaxing, but they do absolutely nothing to clear impacted ear wax.