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Coloring my receiver tubes

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Edited

I was looking for a way to change the color of my receiver wires as they were shiny/reflective and a little more visible than i wanted. I came across a dye product -

Vanish - Hide Your Hearing Aid62

The Easiest Most Effective Way To Diminish The Visibility of Your Hearing Aids.

(also sold on Amazon)

Initially i was thinking of buying it but instead bought a small pack of dye for very cheap and decided to do some . I first used a small piece of super fine sandpaper to create a rough surface on the tube so that it looks like frosted glass, this is so that the dye can penetrate the surface of the receiver tube.

Then mixed the powder dye with boiling water and let the receiver sit but it did not work, it was tricky too as i did not want water in the receiver unit. Perhaps this may still work when done properly, it seemed like a lot of hassle as i did not have a soaking tray like supplied with the Vanish kit.

I then decided to try using a permanent marker and went for -

Promarker14

Promarker offers 189 different translucent, alcohol-based inks that let you add subtle nuance or build dramatic layering to your work.

Again lightly sanding the tube is required, otherwise the marker will not apply very well. I then simply marked it with my color of choice (cinnamon)

Standard and coloured comparison

As you can see the standard receiver on the right side is quite shiny and more visible, when next to skin you can really tell the difference. I have fair skin and the darker receiver actually blends in quite well. For some reason the marker turned out much darker when applied to the plastic on the tube so be aware of this when choosing a color.

At first you may need to reapply the marker every couple of weeks but for me it’s been six months and now it seems to be permanent.

So for anyone who wants to make their receiver tubes a lot more discreet, this is a simple and cost effective solution.

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I wouldn’t advise this. You may damage the unit. Is what you used safe to place in your dryer unit? What about fumes? And you likely just voided any warranty you have left. (Companies look for any excuse to say a warranty was cancelled due to user intentionally caused the problem.).

Meantime, tube twists are a big hit, they don’t go in the dryer unit and easily swap daily depending on what you are wearing.

One link here: Hayleigh's Cherished Charms -       TUBE TWISTS - all new - PATENT PENDING        SILICONE TUBE TWISTS!!!!   142

I find that hiding my hearing aids doesn’t serve any purpose. People usually don’t notice my hearing aids even though I wear bte aids with short hair until I tell them I have a hearing problem and point to my aids. They’re just not that observant. Also when I don’t explain my hearing loss they end up thinking I’m an idiot, which I might be anyway. There’s nothing to be ashamed about when it comes to hearing loss. It’s not you’re fault.

Edited

This! I struggle to see the benefit of making invisible (unless it’s with the explicit purpose of trying to take advantage of exterior ear anatomy). I guess I understand vanity but really…Why does one care what others think? You’ll sleep better at night, trust me.

Actually when I saw this thread I thought it was going to be about fun colors. I mean, I have a bright orange car. My prior was bright yellow. I like fun colors.

I think you may have made them more visible now because the orginal clear tube would pick up the color of you skin and allow it to come through the tube thus blending into the area around the ear. jm2cw.

Edited

In reply to @hass5744

@hass5744 said:

I find that hiding my hearing aids doesn’t serve any purpose. People usually don’t notice my hearing aids even though I wear bte aids with short hair until I tell them I have a hearing problem and point to my aids. They’re just not that observant. Also when I don’t explain my hearing loss they end up thinking I’m an idiot, which I might be anyway. There’s nothing to be ashamed about when it comes to hearing loss. It’s not you’re fault.

I hear what you are saying, i guess everyone is different, i don’t mind people noticing them as then they would know i struggle hearing but at same time my standard receivers are quite shiny and reflective which i kind of don’t like. I can always switch back to standard if i am in a situation where i feel people should notice them easier.

Oh interesting that’s not what I had imagined at all. I could have some fun with those depending on what I end up with here in the next few days. I could color coordinate with my car of the day lol.

Well I have a ‘smarty pants’ attitude to subjects like this. If people say it is stupid to colour your tubes with coloured dye, I would usually react by colouring them a traffic cone orange or florescent green! (with the instruction to put that in his pipe and smoke it!) But I realize that putting anything on the plastic tubes might damage them.

What I would like to see is a non-damaging preservative lacquer of some kind that conditions and extends the life of the tubes - with colour options.

As an aid user who has had an aid fall to the ground or floor from time-to-time over the years, to me, your shiny tubes were a feature, not a bug. Skin- or hair-colored hearing aids with clear tubes are usually harder to spot on the ground or floor than bright, shiny ones. I ordered my current aids with cherry red cases for just this reason. And If I was going to use a marker on the tubes, I’d make it metallic silver rather than cinnamon.

With my first pair of beige aids, I did worry that others would see I was wearing hearing aids. As hass5744 said, most people aren’t very observant and don’t notice anyway, especially brown, black, or beige hearing aids.

I think Vanish is a great idea and optoon for those that prefer a more invisible look. Just like those that prefer bright colored aids and wires, there are those that like the hidden look. I dont see an issue with either

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