Clean your ears

When my husband and I first moved in together after getting married, I helped him to unpack his things.  He didn't bring much because he was moving from Japan to the US.  Most things were easy to put away - clothes and personal effects.  Even grooming supplies didn't phase me, except one thing.  In his personal grooming kit, he had a thin stick with a curved tip.  I had no idea what it was for. 

When I questioned the stick, my husband was surprised at my inquiry.  He explained it was to remove his ear wax.  I squirmed at his explanation. 

Years later, I came to learn that there are 2 types of ear wax.  Some people have wet earwax (me).  It is sticky and yellowish to brown.  Those that have wet earwax typically use Q-Tips or just water to relieve the wax buildup (which I know a person should never do, but... it occurs on a regular basis).  Other people have dry ear wax.  The wax is crumbly and greyish.  In order to remove this type of earwax, a stick with a hook on the end is utilized.

According to scientific research, people of Asian decent are much more likely to have dry earwax.  It is linked to a gene, which is recessive in European and African ancestry and rarely found in those populations.  In fact, dry earwax is the norm in China, Korea, and Japan.

Fast forward to today, and when I need to purchase Q-Tips in Japan, they are difficult to find.  When looking for ear cleaning tools, there is a selection of tools and not cotton tipped sticks. 

To me, some of these tools look more like torture devices than something I would ever stick in my ear.