Microsuction Ear Wax Removal
Wax lifted out under magnification with gentle suction, with nothing flushed into the ear.
Microsuction is the method most private clinics use. The ear canal is looked at under magnification and the wax is drawn out with a fine, low-pressure suction tube — a bit like a very small vacuum. Nothing is pushed in and no water is used.
Because you can see what is happening the whole way through, the wax comes out under direct view rather than by feel. Most appointments are over well inside half an hour, though an ear that has been blocked a long time can take longer.
It is noisy. The suction is right next to your eardrum, so it sounds a lot louder to you than it does in the room — that part surprises people more than anything else about it.
- Done under magnification, so the wax is removed under direct view
- No water, so nothing is flushed into the ear canal
- In your own home, or at one of the clinics
If an ear is painful, discharging, or the hearing dropped suddenly rather than gradually, speak to your GP or NHS 111 first. That is not a wax appointment.
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