This article is about an instrument for personal care. For the European pole-arm, see Bohemian earspoon.
Ear picks, also called ear scoops, or ear spoons, or earpicks, are a type of curette used to clean the ear canal of earwax (cerumen). They are preferred and are commonly used in East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia because Asians tend to develop dry ear wax.[1][2]
A bamboo ear pick with a down puffA metal ear pick
In Asia, these are traditionally made from bamboo or precious metals such as silver or gold, but more commonly now, from stainless steel or plastic. European ear scoops produced up to the early 19th century were made from either bronze or precious metals such as silver.
Use of ear picks to remove wax is discouraged by some health professionals for fear of damaging the ear and causing infections.
Other than the wide variety of materials used to make them, ear picks vary widely in their tips and embellishments. Disposable plastic ear picks with a cotton swab at one end are increasingly popular.
Tipsedit
Ladle: The traditional and most commonly seen type of tip for the ear pick. They consist of a tiny (2–5 mm) spoon or spatula that is used to scrape and scoop out ear wax.
Loop(s): Tips made of single or multiple bent semi-nested loops of wire. The loops scrape and dislodge ear wax, which is then lodged in between the loops of wire. This tip does not function well in removing wet-type ear wax. A variation of this are wire loops twisted into a spiral, similar in shape to the tips of cotton swabs. The Jobson-Horne probe used in otolaryngology is in effect a loop-type ear-pick, where the ladle of the curette is fenestrated to effectively remove either dry or moist-type impacted earwax.[3]
Disks: Multiple circular disks, typically three, extend as hoops out from a thin cylindrical shaft.
Embellishmentsedit
Down puff: A ball of goosedown is located at the opposite end of the ear pick away from the tip. This is used to clean out tiny specks of flaky ear wax on the outer ear that may have broken off during the process of ear cleaning.
Safety stop: A means of preventing deep insertion into ear canal to prevent eardrum injury.
Illumination: A light bulb or LED shines light through the clear plastic tip (usually a Ladle type) of the ear pick to illuminate the inside of the ear canal, which eases ear cleaning.
Figurine: A plastic or wooden figure, such as a small Daruma or cartoon characters are placed at the opposite end of the tip. They exist mainly to enhance the aesthetics of the ear pick.
Toothpick: Some earpicks end with a pointed tail, which is used as a toothpick. This design is common in some Chinese and old European earpicks.
A traditional style hairpin earpick (mimikaki kanzashi)
A modern hairpin earpick (mimikaki kanzashi)
An ancient European bronze self-care utensil set (Toilettenbesteck) with earspoon and tweezers
Bronze Swiss self-care utensils with a tweezer, earspoon, and a nail-cleaner. Likely worn as a Chatelaine.[4]
An Ethiopian ridged cylindrical earspoon made for wearing around the neck
An Ethiopian cross-shaped silver earspoon made for wearing around the neck
It can be used individually or by another person. The person having their ears cleaned often lies or bends down with their head in the lap of the person doing the cleaning. The cleaning of ears is often performed by a parent on a child or, among adults, by one's partner.[6] It may also be performed by professional (non-medical) ear cleaners on the streets of cities in countries such as India, China, and Vietnam.[6]
Some individuals find ear-picking to be highly pleasurable, thus contributing to the popularity of this service being offered in Asian establishments such as massage parlors, spas, and salons.[7]
Europeanedit
Ear-spoons and ear picks are found dating from the post-medieval period of British history back into the Roman times.[8][9] Ear-spoons have also been found in Scandinavian archeological Viking-age dig sites.[10] Ornate ear scoops have also been found in 9th century Anglo-saxon sites.[11]
The practice of ear picking may pose health hazards to the human ear. One potential danger is that of accidentally puncturing the eardrum and/or breaking the auditory ossicles while ear picking. Usage of unsterilized ear picks can also cause infection when they are shared among different individuals.
Ear cleaning in general may also be ineffective when used by one with little experience or guidance. When done incorrectly, significant amounts of ear wax may be pushed deeper into the ear canal rather than removed. The lining of the ear is delicate and can be easily damaged. The ear is also self-cleaning and earwax is needed to protect the ear from dirt, dust, and bacterial infections.[12][obsolete source]
^Overfield, Theresa (1985). Biologic variation in health and illness: race, age, and sex differences. Menlo Park, Calif: Addison-Wesley, Nursing Division. p. 46. ISBN978-0-201-12810-9. ... most common type in Whites and Blacks is dark brown and moist. Dry wax, most common in Orientals and Native Americans, is gray and dry. It is flaky and may form a thin mass that lies in the ear canal.
^Leong AC, Aldren C (August 2005). "A non-randomized comparison of earwax removal with a 'do-it-yourself' ear vacuum kit and a Jobson-Horne probe". Clinical Otolaryngology. 30 (4): 320–3. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2273.2005.01020.x. PMID 16209672. S2CID 21943297.
^D'Ambra, Eve (2007). Roman Women. Cambridge University Press. pp. 116–17. ISBN978-0-521-81839-1.
^Overfield, T. (1985). Biologic Variation in Health and Illness: Race, Age, and Sex Differences. Menlo Park, CA, USA: Addison-Wesley Publishing. ISBN0-201-12810-1.
^ abFumiko Keehn, Laura, , SWINDLE Magazine (10), archived from the original on 2007-09-14, retrieved 2007-06-19
^Krieger, Daniel (15 January 2011), "Tokyo trend: Ear-cleaning parlors", CNN Travel, Cable News Network
^"Silver EAR SCOOP", Portable Antiques Scheme, The British Museum
^"Cast EAR SCOOP", Portable Antiques Scheme, The British Museum
^Kirsten Wolf (2004). Daily life of the Vikings. Greenwood. p. 76. ISBN0-313-32269-4.
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This article is about an instrument for personal care For the European pole arm see Bohemian earspoon Ear picks also called ear scoops or ear spoons or earpicks are a type of curette used to clean the ear canal of earwax cerumen They are preferred and are commonly used in East Asia South Asia and Southeast Asia because Asians tend to develop dry ear wax 1 2 A bamboo ear pick with a down puff A metal ear pick In Asia these are traditionally made from bamboo or precious metals such as silver or gold but more commonly now from stainless steel or plastic European ear scoops produced up to the early 19th century were made from either bronze or precious metals such as silver Use of ear picks to remove wax is discouraged by some health professionals for fear of damaging the ear and causing infections Contents 1 Types 1 1 Tips 1 2 Embellishments 2 Culture 2 1 East and South Asian 2 2 European 3 Potential hazards 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksTypes editThis section relies largely or entirely upon a single source Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources at this section February 2016 Learn how and when to remove this message Other than the wide variety of materials used to make them ear picks vary widely in their tips and embellishments Disposable plastic ear picks with a cotton swab at one end are increasingly popular Tips edit Ladle The traditional and most commonly seen type of tip for the ear pick They consist of a tiny 2 5 mm spoon or spatula that is used to scrape and scoop out ear wax Loop s Tips made of single or multiple bent semi nested loops of wire The loops scrape and dislodge ear wax which is then lodged in between the loops of wire This tip does not function well in removing wet type ear wax A variation of this are wire loops twisted into a spiral similar in shape to the tips of cotton swabs The Jobson Horne probe used in otolaryngology is in effect a loop type ear pick where the ladle of the curette is fenestrated to effectively remove either dry or moist type impacted earwax 3 Disks Multiple circular disks typically three extend as hoops out from a thin cylindrical shaft Embellishments edit Down puff A ball of goose down is located at the opposite end of the ear pick away from the tip This is used to clean out tiny specks of flaky ear wax on the outer ear that may have broken off during the process of ear cleaning Safety stop A means of preventing deep insertion into ear canal to prevent eardrum injury Illumination A light bulb or LED shines light through the clear plastic tip usually a Ladle type of the ear pick to illuminate the inside of the ear canal which eases ear cleaning Figurine A plastic or wooden figure such as a small Daruma or cartoon characters are placed at the opposite end of the tip They exist mainly to enhance the aesthetics of the ear pick Toothpick Some earpicks end with a pointed tail which is used as a toothpick This design is common in some Chinese and old European earpicks nbsp A traditional style hairpin earpick mimikaki kanzashi nbsp A modern hairpin earpick mimikaki kanzashi nbsp An ancient European bronze self care utensil set Toilettenbesteck with earspoon and tweezers nbsp Bronze Swiss self care utensils with a tweezer earspoon and a nail cleaner Likely worn as a Chatelaine 4 nbsp An Ethiopian ridged cylindrical earspoon made for wearing around the neck nbsp An Ethiopian cross shaped silver earspoon made for wearing around the neckCulture editEast and South Asian edit Main article Ear picking Ear picks are a commonly used item and preferred for ear wax removal in East Asia South Asia and Southeast Asia most people in these areas have dry ear wax which can be easily removed using the tool 5 page needed It can be used individually or by another person The person having their ears cleaned often lies or bends down with their head in the lap of the person doing the cleaning The cleaning of ears is often performed by a parent on a child or among adults by one s partner 6 It may also be performed by professional non medical ear cleaners on the streets of cities in countries such as India China and Vietnam 6 Some individuals find ear picking to be highly pleasurable thus contributing to the popularity of this service being offered in Asian establishments such as massage parlors spas and salons 7 European edit Ear spoons and ear picks are found dating from the post medieval period of British history back into the Roman times 8 9 Ear spoons have also been found in Scandinavian archeological Viking age dig sites 10 Ornate ear scoops have also been found in 9th century Anglo saxon sites 11 Potential hazards editThis section relies largely or entirely upon a single source Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources at this section February 2016 Learn how and when to remove this message The practice of ear picking may pose health hazards to the human ear One potential danger is that of accidentally puncturing the eardrum and or breaking the auditory ossicles while ear picking Usage of unsterilized ear picks can also cause infection when they are shared among different individuals Ear cleaning in general may also be ineffective when used by one with little experience or guidance When done incorrectly significant amounts of ear wax may be pushed deeper into the ear canal rather than removed The lining of the ear is delicate and can be easily damaged The ear is also self cleaning and earwax is needed to protect the ear from dirt dust and bacterial infections 12 obsolete source See also editEar picking Cotton swabReferences edit Overfield Theresa 1985 Biologic variation in health and illness race age and sex differences Menlo Park Calif Addison Wesley Nursing Division p 46 ISBN 978 0 201 12810 9 most common type in Whites and Blacks is dark brown and moist Dry wax most common in Orientals and Native Americans is gray and dry It is flaky and may form a thin mass that lies in the ear canal The science of stinky sweat and earwax Australian Broadcasting Corporation 14 April 2015 Leong AC Aldren C August 2005 A non randomized comparison of earwax removal with a do it yourself ear vacuum kit and a Jobson Horne probe Clinical Otolaryngology 30 4 320 3 doi 10 1111 j 1365 2273 2005 01020 x PMID 16209672 S2CID 21943297 D Ambra Eve 2007 Roman Women Cambridge University Press pp 116 17 ISBN 978 0 521 81839 1 Overfield T 1985 Biologic Variation in Health and Illness Race Age and Sex Differences Menlo Park CA USA Addison Wesley Publishing ISBN 0 201 12810 1 a b Fumiko Keehn Laura The Art of Ear Picking SWINDLE Magazine 10 archived from the original on 2007 09 14 retrieved 2007 06 19 Krieger Daniel 15 January 2011 Tokyo trend Ear cleaning parlors CNN Travel Cable News Network Silver EAR SCOOP Portable Antiques Scheme The British Museum Cast EAR SCOOP Portable Antiques Scheme The British Museum Kirsten Wolf 2004 Daily life of the Vikings Greenwood p 76 ISBN 0 313 32269 4 Anglo Saxon Art in the Round Animal Art Fitzwilliam Museum University of Cambridge Hain Timothy C Ear wax American Hearing Research Foundation Archived from the original on 10 February 2013 Retrieved 7 February 2013 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ear picks Ear picker Agra India on YouTube Asian Ear Cleaning on YouTube Safety Stop for ear pic on YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ear pick amp oldid 1220596204, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
