Before your appointment
How to Prepare Your Ears for Ear Wax Removal
Michele asks every patient to soften their wax with olive oil spray before they come in. It takes a couple of minutes, twice a day, and it is the single biggest thing you can do to make your appointment quicker, more comfortable and more likely to clear your ears in one visit.
Start three to five days before your appointment, and at least two.
The short version
Spray each ear that feels blocked, lying on your side so the oil can run down into the wax.
Step by step
- Get an olive oil ear spray Most pharmacies sell one. A spray is easier to use on your own than a dropper, and it puts a fine, even layer of oil into the ear.
- Lie on your side Lie down with the ear you are treating facing the ceiling. Gravity does most of the work, carrying the oil down the ear canal to the wax.
- Open the ear canal With your other hand, gently pull the top of your ear up and back. This straightens the canal so the oil can travel further in.
- Spray at the entrance Rest the nozzle at the entrance of the ear canal and give two short sprays. Never push the nozzle into the ear.
- Massage gently Press lightly on the small flap in front of your ear canal a few times, and massage the soft area just behind your ear in slow circles. This helps the oil work its way into the wax.
- Stay lying down Keep still for 5 to 10 minutes so the oil can soak in, then sit up and wipe away any oil from the outer ear with a tissue.
- Repeat Treat the other ear the same way if it also feels blocked. Do this morning and evening for three to five days before your appointment.
Why it makes a difference
Hard, dry wax clings to the skin of the ear canal. After a few days of oil it softens and loosens, so it comes away more easily and more comfortably, whether Michele uses microsuction, irrigation or both.
Prepared ears usually clear in one visit. Unprepared, compacted wax often needs a second appointment. If you prepared your ears and the wax still cannot all be removed in one go, you get one return visit at no charge.
Why olive oil and not other drops
Michele recommends olive oil because it is gentle on the skin of the ear canal. Sodium bicarbonate drops can dry the ear out and leave it itchy or flaky, and fizzing drops based on peroxide can feel uncomfortable in sensitive ears.
Michele does not recommend sodium bicarbonate drops.
Things to avoid
- Cotton buds, which push wax further in and can damage the ear canal.
- Ear candles. The NHS says there is no evidence they remove wax.
- Home ear cameras and wax-removal gadgets. Michele has removed a broken piece of one from a patient's ear.
Check before you use any drops
Do not put oil or drops in your ear if you have, or think you might have, a perforated eardrum.
If you have ear pain, discharge from the ear, grommets, or have had ear surgery, speak to your GP or pharmacist first.
Questions about preparing your ears
Should I use a spray or drops?
Either will soften wax. Michele recommends a spray because it is easier to use on your own and puts the oil exactly where it is needed.
How long before my appointment should I start?
Three to five days before, using the spray twice a day. Two days is the minimum. More is better if your wax is old or hard.
Do I need to prepare both ears?
Prepare every ear that feels blocked. If you are booking for both ears, prepare both.
My ear feels more blocked after using the oil. Is that normal?
Some people notice their ear feels a little fuller while the wax softens. If you have pain, discharge or dizziness, stop using the oil and speak to your GP or pharmacist.
Could the oil clear the wax on its own?
Sometimes. The NHS says softened wax can work its way out over about two weeks. If your hearing has cleared, you may not need an appointment at all.
What happens if I have not prepared my ears?
Michele will still look and do what she safely can, but hard wax may not all come out in one visit, and the free return visit applies only when ears have been prepared.
Ready to book?
£35 for one ear, £50 for both, at the Happy Ears clinic in Woodthorpe. Choose a time in the online diary, or call if you have a question.