Some people produce more ear wax because of their genetics, the physical shape of their ear canals, their age, and what they regularly put in their ears. About 1 in 5 people over age 12 in the U.S. have enough wax buildup to cause a partial or complete blockage, and that number climbs to nearly 1 in 3 among adults over 70. The variation is real, and it comes down to a handful of factors working together.
Genetics Set Your Baseline
The single biggest factor in your earwax type is a gene called ABCC11. A single variation in this gene determines whether you produce wet or dry earwax. People who inherit two copies of one version (the A allele) produce dry, flaky wax. Those with one or two copies of the other version (the G allele) produce the wet, sticky type. Wet earwax tends to be produced in larger quantities because the glands responsible for it have higher secretory activity.
This genetic split follows clear geographic patterns. Dry earwax is most common in East Asian populations, particularly among Chinese and Korean individuals, where the dry-type allele is most frequent. Wet earwax is the dominant type in nearly all other populations, including those of European and African descent. If your parents produced a lot of earwax, you very likely will too.
Ear Canal Shape and Hair
Your ears have a built-in self-cleaning system. Skin cells in the ear canal slowly migrate outward, carrying old wax toward the opening of your ear, where it dries up and falls out. But some people have ear canals that are unusually narrow or sharply curved, and this interferes with the migration process. Wax gets trapped instead of working its way out naturally.
Ear hair plays a role too. People with more hair inside the ear canal, which becomes increasingly common with age in men, are more likely to experience wax buildup. The hairs act like a net, catching wax that would otherwise exit on its own.
Age Changes Wax Production and Clearance
Aging shifts earwax dynamics in two directions at once. The glands in the ear canal tend to produce more wax as you get older, while the skin lining the canal gets thinner and the natural self-cleaning mechanism slows down. That combination of more wax in and less wax out is why wax impaction rates jump so dramatically in older adults. Among Americans 70 and older, about 32% have some degree of wax blockage, compared to roughly 19% across all adults.
What You Put in Your Ears Matters
Anything you place inside your ear canal on a regular basis can increase wax buildup. Hearing aids are a common culprit: they physically block the canal’s outward wax migration while simultaneously stimulating the wax-producing glands to ramp up output. Earbuds and earplugs create similar conditions, though usually with less contact time.
Cotton swabs deserve special mention because they create a problem while appearing to solve one. Inserting a swab into the ear canal packs wax deeper rather than removing it. Over time, this compresses wax against the eardrum and leads to impaction. The more frequently someone uses cotton swabs, the more likely they are to end up with a dense plug of wax that wouldn’t have formed on its own.
Stress and Your Wax-Producing Glands
Earwax is made by two types of glands working together in the outer ear canal: ceruminous glands (a specialized type of apocrine gland) and sebaceous glands. Apocrine glands are the same glands responsible for stress sweat, and they respond to emotional triggers like anxiety, fear, and excitement. During periods of sustained stress, these glands can become more active across the body, including in the ear canal. While this isn’t the primary driver of excessive wax for most people, it may explain why some notice more buildup during stressful periods of life.
Skin Conditions That Add to the Mix
Certain inflammatory skin conditions affect the ear canal and change the composition or quantity of wax. Seborrheic dermatitis, the same condition that causes dandruff on the scalp, commonly involves the outer ear and the skin inside the ear canal. It produces flaky, oily scales that mix with normal earwax and create a thicker, more problematic buildup. Eczema and psoriasis can have similar effects, increasing the amount of dead skin debris that gets incorporated into the wax.
What Earwax Is Actually Made Of
Earwax is roughly half fat by dry weight. That lipid portion includes cholesterol, fatty acids, wax esters, and squalene (the same oily compound found in skin sebum). The rest is a mix of dead skin cells, proteins, and other cellular debris. This composition gives earwax its protective properties: it traps dust and small particles, repels water, and creates an environment that discourages bacterial and fungal growth.
The ratio of these components varies from person to person, which is partly why some people’s wax is dark and sticky while others produce lighter, drier material. People whose glands secrete more of the oily components tend to produce wax that accumulates faster and is harder for the ear’s self-cleaning system to push out. This is another reason the wet-versus-dry genetic distinction has such a practical impact on how much wax you deal with day to day.