Decorating hearing aids and implants

What to know before you decorate

Before decorating a hearing device, check with your audiologist or implant centre to make sure it's safe. 

NHS hearing aids or implants are given out as a long-term loan and are not your property. If you damage them, the NHS may charge for repairs, and you could invalidate their warranty.

When decorating:

• Don't cover parts that need to stay open, such as microphone ports or direct audio input contacts.
• Don't glue anything directly onto the casing or use paints or nail polish. 

Personalised sound processors and earmoulds

NHS hearing aids and cochlear implant speech processors can come in different colours, including bright primary colours, softer pastels, metallics and animal prints. 

Hearing aid earmoulds can be solid colours, patterns (like marble), clear with glitter, or have logos or pictures, such as a favourite football team or cartoon character.

Ask your audiologist about the colours and designs available. 

Removable tube decorations

You can add removable decorations to earmould tubing, like jewellery charms or ones with characters and animals.

Many online shops sell these decorations, such as:

• Zizi's Ears – run by Zizi (10)
• Little Hearos (Etsy) – run by Orla (10)
• Hayleigh's Cherished Charms (Etsy) – run by Hayleigh

Covers and decals

Removable covers for hearing aids and implants protect against moisture and dirt, and they can come in many colours and patterns. 

Here are some suppliers:

• Ear Gear – covers for hearing aids and cochlear implant processors
• Skinit decals – available for Cochlear Nucleus 5 and 6, and Naida CI Q70
• Connevans – sells covers for hearing devices

Stickers

Some manufacturers provide sheets of stickers that fit their hearing aids or implant processors.

You can also buy stickers from websites like:

• Hearoes
• Frelie

Retainers and headbands

Retainers and headbands keep hearing devices from falling off and can come in a range of fun designs. You can buy them from suppliers like:

• Angeliques Hearing Bands
• BAHA Accessories UK
• Ear Suspenders (Etsy)
• Malinka

Retainers and headbands may be available from the NHS, so ask your audiologist if you may be able to get this.

Accessories for implants

You can get various accessories for implants from the manufacturers' websites. For example:

• Cochlear accessories
• MED-EL accessories

Some accessories might be available on the NHS, so it's worth asking your audiologist if you can get this for free.