As we get older, one of the signs of aging—especially in men—is losing hair on our heads in favor of growing it in other places, specifically in our ears. While it’s not the most fun topic to discuss, it’s an important topic, as excess ear hair could be having a negative effect on your hearing aids’ performance.
Maybe you’re here because you’re an older gentleman and you’ve noticed that your hearing aids aren’t working as well as they used to. Don’t worry—by taking care of the excess ear hair, you’ll be able to get your hearing aids back in working order, too. Two birds with one stone!
Ear hair is natural, and there are two different types that grow in and around our ears: vellus hairs, which grow on the outer shell of the ear, and tragi hairs, which grow in the ear canal. As men age, these hairs can grow longer and thicker, which can cause several hearing health issues if left to grow too long.
When fitting hearing aids, we take impressions of your ears to make sure the aids fit your unique ear canals, but when tragi hairs grow in your ear canal, your hearing aids will suffer as a result; in-the-ear hearing aids won’t fit in your ears correctly, and the acoustical seal will not quite seal properly, causing poor performance.
How Do I Deal With Excessive Ear Hair Growth?
Trimming your ear hair is the easiest way to help improve the performance of your hearing aids, but there are a few things you should know about how to cut it before you stick scissors in your ears.
Avoid using scissors with a pointed tip, nail clippers, or wax when you’re dealing with your ear hair, as these can perforate or damage your ear drums. Tweezers can also damage your ear canal or ear drums.
Round-tipped scissors or trimmers specifically made for trimming ear hair work best. Make sure you have someone to help you nearby, as seeing into your ears can help you get the job done more efficiently. Permanent laser removal is also an option to consider if you can’t stay ahead of the growth of your ear hair.
Concerned About Your Hearing Aids?
If you’ve read this far and you believe that your hearing aids may be in need of a clean or a repair check, our team at Upstate Hearing Aid Center are ready to help!
No matter your hearing care concern, our highly trained and compassionate team of audiologists and hearing care professionals can help you with repairing your hearing aids. Whether your hearing aids need checking out due to excess ear hair, moisture, or earwax, we’re here to help.
You can always request a callback from us, and a member of our team will get in touch with further information. If you’d rather not wait and would like to schedule a hearing aid repair and clean, you can call our clinic at (864) 999-0261.