At home ear cleaning just makes things worse for me… what am I doing wrong?

I’ve always had to deal with earwax buildup, so my usual routine has been just going to a clinic once a year and getting it flushed out. It works, feels great after, and I don’t really think about it again until it builds up.

Recently I thought I should try handling it myself instead of going in every time. I picked up one of those ear syringes and tried doing it at home, but honestly it felt like it made things worse. The wax seemed harder after and I started noticing more ringing in my ears, which kind of freaked me out.

I also tried one of those camera tools, Bebird, just to see what’s actually going on in there. It helped me see the buildup, but also made me hesitate because I wasn’t sure how far to go or if I’d mess something up.

Now I’m back to feeling like maybe I should just leave it to professionals, but that’s not super convenient either.

How are people actually managing earwax at home without making it worse?