A gentle, water-free way to remove ear wax, carried out by trained clinicians under direct vision. No water, no flushing, no waiting list — just a quick visit to our Timperley clinic.
Microsuction uses a low-pressure medical suction probe and magnification to gently draw ear wax out of the ear canal under direct vision. It has largely replaced ear syringing in specialist ear care because it is water-free, controlled and carried out under direct vision.
Syringing was the standard NHS treatment until around 2018. It is now no longer routinely offered because the risks are higher than microsuction.
Microsuction is a way of removing ear wax using a gentle, low-pressure suction device under direct vision — no water, no flushing. The clinician looks into the ear canal with magnification throughout, and most appointments take 15–30 minutes including the ear check.
Microsuction is a safe, widely used method when performed by a trained clinician. Because nothing is flushed into the ear, it is often the preferred option for people with a history of perforated eardrums, previous ear surgery or recurrent infections — your clinician checks your history and examines both ears before anything is done.
Like any procedure it has possible side effects, usually brief: the noise can be surprising, and a few people notice temporary ringing or mild dizziness that settles quickly. If wax is very hard or deep the clinician may pause and ask you to soften it with olive oil for a few more days rather than press on — that caution is deliberate.
Read more: is microsuction painful? and what to expect afterwards.
We are often asked for ear syringing. We do not syringe or irrigate ears — we offer microsuction, the water-free method most specialist ear-care clinics now use instead. Routine ear syringing stopped being a core NHS GP service around 2020, which is why so many people now search for it privately.
If you had syringing in the past, microsuction treats the same problem — blocked, waxy ears — without water pressure. See microsuction vs ear syringing compared.
Wax problems become more common with age, and hearing aids make build-up more likely because they interrupt the ear’s natural self-cleaning. Hearing-aid wearers often benefit from professional removal every few months, and dulled hearing from wax is one of the most common reversible hearing problems we see.
More: ear wax removal for older adults and ear wax and hearing loss.