THE DR >>VIC MICOLUCCI: YOU’VE LIKELY SEEN THEM OR MAYBE YOU HAVE
TALKING ABOUT VIDEOS WITH THE
HASHTAG EARWAX. THEY HAVE BEEN
VIEWED. BILLIONS OF TIMES ON
SOCIAL MEDIA SITES LIKE TIKTOK
BILLIONS WITH A B RIGHT. DOES
TO LIKE THINKING ABOUT IT
MAYBE IN THE MORNING. BUT THE
REALITY IS A DEAL WITH IT?
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: AND SOME OF
THE WAYS PEOPLE ARE CLEANING
THEIR OWN YEARS. PROBABLY. HAS
YOU ASKING WHY SO SENSITIVE
THING? A TREND WE’RE BRINGING
IN CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR,
LAUREN VERNA TO SORT OUT THE
RIGHT AND MORE IMPORTANTLY THE
VERY WRONG LAUREN. LISTEN, IF
I I HAVE TO ADMIT, I’M ONE OF
THOSE BILLIONS. FASCINATED BY
THOSE IRAQ’S VIDEOS. I LOVE
IT. PIMPLES I DON’T KNOW WHY I
LOVE IT. I CAN JEN, I THAT I
KNOW THAT’S NOT YOUR THING.
GETS A HIT BY
>>LAUREN VERNO: ALL RIGHT. SO
THERE ARE TOPICS WE DON’T
NECESSARILY WANT TO TACKLE,
BUT WE OBVIOUSLY SHOULD
BECAUSE HE HAS PEOPLE SHOWING
OFF HOW THEY HANDLE THEIR EAR
WAX IS A REAL THING WHEN IT
COMES TO HEALTH AND SAFETY. WE
TURN TO THE EXPERTS. SO THAT’S
EXACTLY WHAT WE’RE DOING HERE.
AND WE WANT TO WARN YOU, SOME
OF THE VIDEOS AND THIS STORY
AS WELL. A LITTLE ILL. SO
THERE’S YOUR FAIR WARNING.
>> MAYBE YOU’VE SEEN GROSS
VIDEOS LIKE THESE ON TIKTOK
PEOPLE GOING TO EXTREME
MEASURES TO REMOVE AIR REX,
LIKE A LOT OF US. CONSUMER
REPORTS WAS CURIOUS ABOUT
THESE AND OTHER METHODS. SO IN
CHECK OUT A FEW EARWAX REMOVAL
PRODUCTS AND TECHNIQUES WE
SOUGHT SUCH A HUGE INTEREST IN
THIS TOPIC. AND WHEN WE LOOKED
INTO IT, WE FOUND A WIDE RANGE
OF PRODUCTS THAT MADE US
WONDER HOW A CONSUMER SHOULD
APPROACH ALL OF THIS. THERE’S
CANDLELIGHT WHERE A WAX FIBER
TUBE IS INSERTED INTO THE YEAR
AND WHEN LET THE HEAT
SUPPOSEDLY DRAWS DEBRIS FROM
INSIDE THE EAR, YOU CAN BUY
MANY SCOOPS TO CLEAN OUT YOUR
EARS. SOME EVEN EQUIPPED WITH
A CAMERA. SO YOU CAN VIEW
WHAT’S HAPPENING ON YOUR
PHONE. MAYBE YOU’VE SEEN THE
SOFT, REAL SHAPE DEVICES THAT
CLAIM YOU CAN TWIST THE WAX
OUT OF YOUR EAR CANAL OR THIS
ONE THAT LOOKS LIKE A WIRE
WHISK. IF YOU’RE CURIOUS ABOUT
WHICH ONE TO BUY. ER
PHYSICIAN, DOCTOR MAURICIO
GONZALEZ SAYS NONE. WE DO NOT
RECOMMEND ANY CLEARING.
>> WITH ANY DEVICES OR ANY
SHAPE OR FORM. AS FOR
CANCELING, THE FDA SAYS TO
STAY AWAY AND HAS WARNED
CONSUMERS OF THE RISK OF BURNS
OR INJURY TO THE INNER EAR. SO
THE QUESTION REMAINS, DO YOU
REALLY NEED TO REMOVE YOUR EAR
WAX?
>> DOCTORS SAY THE WAX
ACTUALLY HELPS LIMIT BACTERIA
IN YOUR EARS IF YOU HAVE
HARDEN WAX OR BODY PRODUCES AN
UNUSUAL AMOUNT YOU CAN USE
OVER THE COUNTER AIR DROPS TO
SOFTEN UP AND MAKE IT EASIER
TO WASH OUT. BUT MOST PEOPLE
DON’T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING AT
ALL. EVERY TIME CHEW.
>> AND YOU MOVE YOUR JAW,
THESE MOVEMENT BY ITSELF. IT
SPELLS THE AXIS YOUR WAX OUT
OF YEARS. BUT IF YOU FEEL LIKE
THERE’S SOMETHING IN YOUR HOUR
TO NOW, WELL, ALIGHT CLOTH
SHOULD BE MORE THAN ENOUGH
SPECIALLY AFTER TAKING A
SHOWER.
>> JEN HAS A LOT FOR MOST
PEOPLE, AIR WAXES AND NOTHING
TO WORRY ABOUT. BUT I MEAN,
OKAY, I’M A JEN. I AGREE. I
FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO BE
CLEANED OUT. WELL, IT’S WELL.
SO HERE’S MY STORY. WHERE
IPODS NOW, YOU EVERYTHING IS
DISCUSSING. SO HERE’S THE WAR
INVERNAL WHEN I WAS A KID, I
GOT A Q TIP, STOP FROM YEAR
AND HAD TO BE TAKEN TO THE
HOSPITAL AND THEY HAD TO.
>>LAUREN VERNO: GO TO THE ER
AND TAKE IT OUT. YEAH, I WAS
THAT CHILD. YOUR PARENTS HAVE
LITTLE ME. YOUR LITTLE CUTE
HIM. JUST HANG IN. HOW IT IS
THAT THE ER JUST.
>> THAT’S ABOUT IT. REMEMBER
THAT WE NEVER LOOK AT A Q TIP
>>LAUREN VERNO: ALL RIGHT. SO
WHAT ABOUT YOUR GETS IN OUR
DEVICES LIKE EAR BUDS THAT I
WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT THIS?
EXACTLY SO LIKE THESE AND EVEN
OUR IFB EASE. WE NOTICE THEY
GET A LITTLE CLUNKY. IT’S
DISGUSTING. I NOW BUT YOU CAN
JUST CLEAN THEM OUT. GET A
TOOTHBRUSH. NOT THE ONE YOU
USE. I WOULD RECOMMEND YOU
KNOW, I WILL TELL YOU HERE. I
WILL TELL YOU THEY’RE GOING TO
TELL ME WHAT TIME. BUT THIS
MORNING, CHRIS GOES, WHY ARE
YOU GRABBING YOUR DISGUSTING
TOOTHBRUSH AGO? CLEANING OUT
AIR WAX WITH MY EAR BUDS THIS
MORNING, A ROMANTIC HE GOES,
OK, THANK YOU FOR NOT CROPPING
YOUR REAL TOOTHBRUSH CLEAN IT
OUT. IT GETS INSIDE TEENS.
WELL, IT’S EASY. I KNOW I USE
THIS TO PRESSURE ALSO FOR
STAINS ON MY CLOTHES. JUST
HAVE YOUR DESIGNATED.
DISTRESSING. DON’T MAKE SURE
YOUR KIDS DON’T. YOU HAVE YOUR
TEENAGERS LIKE MOM. HEAR. THEY
DON’T CARE IF IT’S GROSS, THEY
DON’T CARE IS JUST THE MOTHER
THAT CARES AND TAKES CARE OF
THE STATE. THAT’S FINE. BUT NO
CANDLE WAXING BURNING. I