I’ve never had serious issues with Q-Tips before, but I can definitely see how they could be an issue especially if you tend to get a lot of ear wax build up. But these are soooo much more comfortable to use and really easy too! I don’t get a whole lot of wax removed but I think that might be because I clean my ears daily. If you don’t you might see a whole lot more! Either way it’s definitely an improvement on the old Q-Tip and although it says to dispose of the tip after use, if you keep it clean I’m sure they can last for quite a while too which is really awesome and super economic! Couldn’t recommend more!