How they do it in Japan . . . Open Thread

Sorry, sorry. I know I haven't been around much. Vacation happened, and Balls and Walnuts sucks up most of my free time. Just haven't had it in me to cough up any new wax, boogers, or phlegm.

Hat tip to Falafel Sex's Mark Alread for this post on how the Japanese clean ear wax. Cute story, but really, there's nothing new here. Cleaning wax under direct vision is simply the safest way to do it. I use a binocular microscope, which gives me depth perception, excellent lighting, and as much magnification as I want. I have a variety of tools for the job, including right angle picks, curved picks, straight and angled loop curettes, and alligator forceps. The only time I'm ever defeated is when the wax is hard and impacted, and manipulation of it exceeds my patient's pain tolerance.

I still get at least one letter a week griping about my opposition to ear candling. Most recently, a physician wrote a polite letter telling me I was wrong. You know, I wish all of my wax patients would switch to ear candles, and as long as I'm wishing, I wish the candles would WORK, too. Then I could focus my efforts on more troublesome problems.

But candles don't work, so this is a pipe dream. I'll keep on de-waxing people because it's one of the few things I do which gives rapid relief . . . and I do it well.

Consider this an open thread. Come one, come all: any questions?

D.