Ear picks, also called ear scoops, or ear spoons, or earpicks, are a type of curette used to clean the ear canal of earwax (cerumen). They are preferred and are commonly used in East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia because Asians tend to develop dry ear wax. In Asia, these are traditionally made from bamboo or precious metals such as silver or gold, but more commonly now, from stainless steel or plastic. European ear scoops produced up to the early 19th century were made from either bronze or precious metals such as silver.