Dry cerumen is the most common cause of white earwax, which comes out in flakes. However, in some cases, it can also be a sign of infection or atopic dermatitis (eczema). Consult a doctor if you have white or grey earwax flakes with itchiness, inflammation, and pain.
Dry Earwax and Wet Earwax
Dry earwax is flaky and gray or tan. Wet earwax is sticky and yellow or brown. Dry earwax doesn't have cerumen, a waxy substance.
Dry skin in the ears can have a variety of causes, such as environmental factors like cold, dry air, or chronic skin conditions like psoriasis. When you have dry skin in your ears, it can be uncomfortable, itchy, and even painful. The skin may appear red and flaky.
The genetic link
People who have 1 or 2 copies of the C variant in the ABCC11 gene have more fat in their earwax, making it wet and sticky. People who have two copies of the T variant have less fat in their earwax, making it dry, light-colored, and flaky.
Too little wax and your ears are dry, itchy and a breeding ground for infection. Too much can lead to painful earaches and hearing loss, and, in some cases, tinnitus (a ringing in the ears).
In general, white flaky earwax is not a cause for concern and does not require medical attention. However, if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, you should seek medical attention: Hearing loss or a feeling of fullness in the ear. Pain or discomfort in the ear.
Ear wax that is flaky and pale in colour is an indication of a healthy self-cleaning mechanism taking place within your ear.
Dry earwax is not as effective as wet earwax in trapping foreign particles and is more likely to cause blockages in the ear canal.
Light brown, orange or yellow earwax is healthy and normal. Children tend to have softer, lighter-colored earwax. White, flaky earwax indicates you lack a body-odor producing chemical. Dark-colored, sticky earwax indicates you should probably use deodorant.
Earwax, or cerumen, is usually amber orange to light brown, but it can vary between individuals and may give clues about a person's health. Red-tinged wax may be a sign of an injury, while greenish wax may indicate an infection, for instance. Earwax plays essential roles in ear health.
Several years ago ago, scientists discovered that a gene called ABCC11 determined whether people produced wet or dry earwax. Interestingly, people who produce the "dry" version of earwax also lack a chemical in their armpits that bacteria feed on to cause underarm odor.
The answer is partly in your heritage. A new study reveals that the gene responsible for the drier type originated in an ancient northeastern Asian population. Today, 80 to 95 percent of East Asians have dry earwax, whereas the wet variety is abundant in people of African and European ancestry (97 to 100 percent).
The lucky "dry earwax" people don't produce the protein, so they don't make the apocrine underarm sweat that attracts bacteria (it's worth noting we produce two types of sweat, the other being body-wide ecrine sweat, salty water, which isn't affected by this gene).
East Asian and Native American people were already known to have a form of the ABCC11 gene that causes the dry type of earwax and produces less underarm body order, compared with other ethnicities.
White, flaky earwax is perfectly healthy. It may surprise you to learn that it also may be an indicator you lack a certain body-odor-producing chemical.
Dry ears can have many causes. It can be as simple as not being able to produce enough earwax or cleaning the ears too much. Dry ears can also be linked to skin allergies, and to other dry skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis. In most cases, it can easily be treated.
Some environmental factors that can lead to a dry, crusty ear include: Allergies. Stripping soaps and body washes. Dehydration.
Frequent washing, however, can do more harm than good because it strips the ear of this delicate, protective lining, leaving the way open for bacteria to get in and multiply. Experts, recommend that you only clean your ears every two to four weeks.
Most of the world's population has the gene that codes for the wet-type earwax and average body odor; however, East Asians are more likely to inherit the allele associated with the dry-type earwax and a reduction in body odor.
To do this, just gently massage the outside of the ear using circular movements. That way, the impaction will soften, which can help the earwax drain more easily. Once you've finished making these circular movements, pull your ear slightly backwards, from the lobe to the top of the auricle.
Some people (such as Europeans and Africans) sweat a reasonable amount, and they tend to have wet earwax. And some people (such as Koreans and Chinese) don't sweat much at all, and they tend to have dry earwax. Earwax is manufactured inside your ear canal.
Many of the colors are healthy, but some are not. Normal wet earwax is usually yellow, brown or orange. Dry earwax is typically gray or white.