“I’ve Seen Horrible Things Happen”: A Doctor Is Begging People To Stop Using Q-Tips In Their Ears, Here’s Why

“The ear canal itself is just skin tissue and the wax is produced from what’s called sebaceous glands — they’re little glands in the ear canal,” Kasper explained. “The ear canal skin is kind of like a conveyor belt where, as it starts to die off, it migrates outward, taking along with it the wax as well. So if you just run water in your ear in the shower, it should flush that out.”

Michelson agreed. “I had a doctor who once said when you’re in the shower, and you’re using shampoo or whatever, just put a soapy finger in [your ear] and that should be fine,” he added.

However, some individuals produce a lot of ear wax or have “really hairy ear canals,” Kasper said, which means they may need a little more help to keep their ears clean.

“In those particular cases, don’t dig. Go to a professional, have them look in your ears,” he told us. “There are easy, simple ways to get it out that are safe. I would even say be careful with those over-the-counter ear washes and definitely don’t stick things like bobby pins or pen caps in your ear.”

A few drops of hydrogen peroxide or similar products are another good option to soften the wax so it can be flushed out.

“That’s totally fine … but don’t do it too much, because the last thing you want to do is over clean your ear.”

For more from Dr. Craig Kasper, head here.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.