STUCK for YEARS! The Shocking Cotton Bud Tip Removal - Episode 623

Added: 2026-05-12

[00:00:00]This is one of the most unbelievable stories this gentleman told me when he came in to see me. I can't believe I still can't believe it to be honest with you. My name is Nurse Richard, the Wax Wizard. Thanks for joining me.

[00:00:13]Please stay tuned for this. It is a bit of a shocker.

[00:00:19]Just the long and short of it is this when I first looked in this ear I mean I already know what this is and what's happened. And I asked him and I said have you by any chance ever used cotton buds or put a cotton bud in your ear?

[00:00:37]And he said like he was thinking about it and like I'm not sure. He said I might have done or probably was very vague about it.

[00:00:46]Probably a bit embarrassed to be honest.

[00:00:48]And he said I haven't done it for years.

[00:00:52]Maybe at least 5 years the last time I did it.

[00:00:55]And I said have you ever did you ever notice if you cast your mind back to those 5 years ago that you put the put cotton bud in or the Q-tip whatever you want to call it wherever you're from.

[00:01:06]And when you pulled it out did you notice that the end was missing?

[00:01:09]And he said yeah that does ring a bell that.

[00:01:13]I said well wonder no more where that tip is because it's here. It's in the bottom of your ear canal right pushed up against your eardrum.

[00:01:23]And this was difficult this because it's a really small ear to get in. So I know people will be shouting forceps at me in the comments which I'm well prepared for. You'll end up in a wax roast. But let me explain why we didn't use them to start with. We didn't use them a bit further on.

[00:01:39]Because it's so narrow this ear. It's so swollen. It's it's almost completely shut. You will see some images of that before. So what you're seeing is a nice big circular image. Looks easy doesn't it? But to fit the forceps cuz I've just come back a little bit you can see the edges of the ear there.

[00:01:56]The forceps are bigger than the suction tools and the hooks and all that.

[00:02:03]And to fit both the forceps and the camera inside the ear so you can see well enough it's not always possible or if it is possible it's very very difficult.

[00:02:13]So that's why I mean it just snapped that bit off anyway. It didn't really do anything.

[00:02:20]But I am going to have a go cuz that's that skin around the top of it. Now that skin has been failing to shed in the ear because of the cotton bud tip that's wedged all the way down there.

[00:02:32]So I wasn't sure which one to try and get first whether to get the skin behind it or the it's like which one is blocking which. I wasn't quite sure. So I had a go at the skin that didn't budge so that's clearly trapped behind the cotton bud which you will see later on.

[00:02:45]Lovely little peel off the eardrum.

[00:02:48]So I put a little bit of olive oil in tried to touch up against it. I've explained in other videos why I go for the suction first when it's this deep and this solid in the ear canal and the reason is sometimes you get lucky and it comes out. But more often than not it's to kind of rough up the surface of that cotton bud cuz it's solidified. It is solid because it's been there that long.

[00:03:11]So it when it roughs up the surface a little bit some fibers come away with the suction tube and that's what you you can then grab hold of with the forceps which is what you will see shortly.

[00:03:20]So stay tuned.

[00:03:22]So what I did afterwards I put some some sodium bicarbonate in left it for a bit and I saw I tried to see if that made a little bit of difference and it did. It really helped.

[00:03:37]Again I'm persistent with this bit of skin around the top thinking that that will help me get the cotton bud out.

[00:03:42]Again it didn't. So I'm going to ignore the skin at the top and now I'm going to go straight for the cotton bud tip right at the bottom of the ear canal.

[00:03:54]I still can't believe that he did did this that he didn't know. And as the title of the video suggests about 5 years ago and he just assumed that he'd gone deaf in one ear. Never saw anybody about it unbelievably.

[00:04:10]And it was only when it started getting a bit of pain that he someone persuaded him I think it was family member I think it was his mother who persuaded him you need to go and get this looked at go and see somebody. So I'm glad he did but 5 years too late.

[00:04:25]>> [laughter] >> So as you can see this is roughing up the surface of it.

[00:04:30]And it almost looks like it's going to come out doesn't quite.

[00:04:36]But as soon as I've roughed up the surface and separated a few fibers from it I can now begin to start thinking about grabbing it with the forceps which is what I'm going to do in a minute. I'll quickly let you know subscriber of the day who you are as well. And today's subscriber of the day is Shauna Clark.

[00:04:53]Many thanks for your message. Shauna asking to be subscriber of the day today it is you.

[00:04:58]You did ask for a Star Wars themed background. That's not what this is.

[00:05:03]But where am I?

[00:05:06]I know you all I love you seem to like the new background thing I've got going on. This is a a real picture it's not AI generated.

[00:05:13]The only clue I'll give you is apparently this is where all men are from.

[00:05:20]That's the only clue I'm going to give you. I'll try and put some interactive quiz in. If you can't find that interactive quiz then just leave us a comment down below where do you think I am today?

[00:05:30]It's a good one this.

[00:05:33]So as you can see I am pulling with all my might there cuz I did think I would get lucky with the suction here cuz it is moving.

[00:05:42]And because I explained how difficult it is to fit forceps in this ear I didn't go for it earlier.

[00:05:49]Maybe I should have done been a bit braver who knows but yeah it's really difficult to fit it in.

[00:05:56]But we did manage it just about.

[00:06:02]So all we need to grab is a couple of fibers.

[00:06:04]>> [clears throat] >> I've got some there. Didn't quite get a tight enough grip. So let's try again.

[00:06:11]And you'll see just how narrow this ear is as this thing comes out.

[00:06:15]Look.

[00:06:16]>> [laughter] >> That's why it's difficult to get those things in.

[00:06:19]It's almost completely shut.

[00:06:22]But there it is. Yeah 5-year-old Q-tip.

[00:06:26]And as I feared bit of a mess right behind it.

[00:06:29]But you can see now why the skin which was at the top of the ear canal didn't come out freely because it was attached to the skin on the eardrum there.

[00:06:39]And the cotton bud tip Q-tip was preventing that from being pulled forward.

[00:06:45]I thought it was just me being a bit rubbish at me job you know.

[00:06:49]>> [laughter and gasps] >> Turns out it it it wasn't the case. I needed to get the Q-tip out before I could get that out.

[00:06:55]Wasn't sure which way around to do it but I got it out in the end. So look just look how narrow this ear is.

[00:07:00]And like I said those forceps are a lot bigger than that tube cuz that's the I think that's the size just above the fine end tube which is the smallest tube we use.

[00:07:13]And again I've I've had to get really close up to it now.

[00:07:20]And you can just see now we're further back in the ear entrance. You can just see how difficult it is to get those in that entrance as well as the camera.

[00:07:27]Don't forget the camera is a fairly substantial size as well.

[00:07:32]Now it just pushed it back in there. So I'm going to get the hook and try and pull that thought this comes out lovely too.

[00:07:44]Good grip with the hook and out that comes.

[00:07:47]Really really old as you can see how dark it is.

[00:07:50]That's a sign that it has been there for a while.

[00:07:55]Now it is surprisingly big once you get into this ear canal.

[00:08:00]Which again I'll add to the difficulty.

[00:08:02]Have I said often enough how difficult this was yet?

[00:08:05]>> [laughter] >> I've highly edited this as well. Yeah actually took me quite a bit longer than this.

[00:08:09]Um but I've only got time to up to upload a relatively short video today.

[00:08:17]Otherwise I'd have put the whole thing in but there was there was a lot of faffing about in this.

[00:08:22]>> [snorts] >> So as you can see it's left a thickish plaque of dead skin on the eardrum that she it's been failing to shed.

[00:08:34]So again fine end tube here.

[00:08:37]I don't think I can reach reach that with the forceps actually.

[00:08:42]Yes it would have been easier. I don't think I could reach it because it was like in if you imagine the ear canal going along like this it was in like that then it was right up at the top it was quite his ear canal went went quite violently up. And he was really having to lean over to the side for me to even get to this point.

[00:09:04]But it did come. And again I think I um put some more sodium bicarbonate in because when I was pulling this I could just see little bits that are still stuck to the edge of my ear. I did I was asking him at the time if this was uncomfortable. At no point he ever said it was.

[00:09:23]But his reaction was priceless after thinking that he's gone deaf in one ear for 5 years to all of a sudden I can hear everything. He's his face was a picture. I think he he hopes he wishes he should have done it sooner which I had to agree with him with obviously.

[00:09:41]So again I put a load of sodium bicarbonate in. I'm actually standing standing up above the ear at this point.

[00:09:51]Cuz this was how kind of sloping upwards it was although you can't see that from that from here.

[00:09:58]But worth a treat Yeah. getting this sodium bicarbonate.

[00:10:04]And it peels away lovely.

[00:10:10]Look at that. Dead skin.

[00:10:12]Now at this point I was already relatively happy.

[00:10:15]But I thought I'll just have one more go because I do suspect there's a little bit um the little bit of skin that maybe just hiding in the recess there.

[00:10:26]So I'm going to have a little go. There is a little bit mushy stuff on the eardrum that I'm not entertaining.

[00:10:31]Sorry, I'm not entertaining going anywhere near that. Don't think it's worth the risk.

[00:10:39]It's just a bit of softened up debris from all the oil that he's had in his ear.

[00:10:45]But we can see all the eardrum now and yeah, the difference it made to him was wow.

[00:10:48]This is his second ear.

[00:10:50]>> [laughter] >> Just got a still image of it there before I put oil in it.

[00:10:53]Um now this wasn't a Q-tip. It just forced a load of dry dead skin in there.

[00:11:01]Now he he could hear okay through this one compared to the second one.

[00:11:06]This was as fiddly as well.

[00:11:08]Don't forget if you have enjoyed this video, please feel free to leave us a comment down below.

[00:11:12]Do what you got to do to get these videos seen by more people.

[00:11:16]>> [snorts] >> Um hyping, liking, just pressing the like button is all free. Just and the hype thing I think you where you can see the like, share tab underneath you. This is only on YouTube. If you scroll across you might well see a hype.

[00:11:31]That really helps as well if you can press that.

[00:11:34]That would be massively appreciated. And you And if you're not already subscribed to the button uh subscribe to the button subscribe to the channel. You will know if you look below and if you see a subscribe button then that means that you you're not subscribed. If you already are subscribed you'll see a join button and that means you can From there you you can become a member should you so wish.

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[00:12:02]So again I've brought it forward with the suction and going to remove it with the hook.

[00:12:10]Another prehistoric item removed from this gentleman's ear.

[00:12:14]A couple of scars down there as well.

[00:12:17]Not surprised really with everything that his ears have been through over the years.

[00:12:20]Um anyway I hope you enjoyed that. Found it fascinating. Leave us a comment down below. And now you can see all of where I am.

[00:12:27]Let me know. Where do you think I am?

[00:12:30]Clue is this is where all men come from apparently.

[00:12:35]Anyway, uh thanks for watching. But for now take care of yourself and I'll see you soon. Ta-da.

[00:12:47]>> [bell]