Every Q-tips box has a warning label: “Do not insert swab into ear canal,” and if you’re going to use it to clean your ears, gently swab the outer part only.

What's up with Q-tips now? This man compares old Q-tips to new ones and it looks like the new Q-tips are flimsier.

The strange and puzzling life of Q-tips — a product that no one uses properly Using Q-tips leads to what dermatologists refer to as the itch-scratch cycle, a self-perpetuating addiction of sorts.