Just been chatting with a friend. She’s got to look super professional on Thursday so is gonna wear her spare brown hearing aids.
She normally wears Phonak Caribbean Pirate colour hearing aids and colourful ear moulds.
I also wear very colourful hearing aids and ear moulds.
Just wondering what your thoughts are on looking professional? Should your hearing aids blend in?
I would say women can get away with some colour but generally (generally) men not so much. Women use all sorts of baubles to “dress up”. Just some cultural stereotypes.
I personally love the colorful aids. If the person wearing them is comfortable with that look, those aids can look professional. If they’re not comfortable with the look for a certain occasion, they should follow their instincts. So I guess I think it’s a be true to yourself sort of thing.
I was once told I didn’t look professional wearing hearing aids, well my reply got me hired. I told the person I couldn’t do a professional job without my hearing aids.
I believe it should not matter what your hearing aids look like. What matters is how well they work for you. I’m 78 years old and I think your hearing aids look good.
When you look at the pictures
“People of Walmart”
Your aids are just fine.
I feel it’s important to “look the part”. If the job is a serious one where people wear suits and want to come across to clients and the public as more professional, then I don’t think these hearing aids help with that.
I like them don’t get me wrong. They are playful and fun. But given that there is a choice of colors for hearing aids, there are more professional options available.
I think your friend is making the right choice for her particular situation since she has a pair of back up devices. If you think you need a more professional look, you might be able to have your hearing aids recased (i.e made into another color) for a reasonable charge.
Chris
In your opinion, what colour should the ear moulds be to look professional?
I’ve also got a spare pair of brown hearing aids.
I’m not working at the moment as recovering from two major surgeries but when I’m recovered and go for an interview, I want to look more professional as well.
Would silver glitter ear moulds be professional?
I can see that blending in is important in some careers. Brightly colored aids could be seen as appearing “unprofessional” in hearing aids as with eyeglass frames.
But if that’s not the concern, another important benefit to brightly colored aids besides making a fashion statement is that they will often be easier to find when lost than beige, dark brown, or black aids. All depends where they land or sit, of course. Also some Bluetooth aids can be tracked down with manufacturer software in some cases.
How is this not discrimination? Pretty sure it’s a recognized disability, right? I wonder what business is so retrograde that this is an issue?
Also, red it “right”, the other one is left. 
I love them! Professionalism is how you conduct yourself. If you encounter people who are so small-minded as to discriminate on minor, inoffensive aspects of outward personal style, especially surrounding a disability, then you shouldn’t be working for them. I know good jobs are hard to get, but seriously, how do you think they’re going to treat you if they end up being corked-up about a red hearing aid?
Just wear whatever makes you happy, stuff anyone else !
do you guys think white hearing aids (think AirPods but in hearing aid shape) look professional? or too gadgety-looking?
I would say if you’ve got it flaunt it!
You never know, if there are several people after the job, your aids could make you stand out from the crowd.
@Benh my friend has white cochlear CIs and works with the Police. I think she looks professional and she’s never had anyone mention her CIs.
Going back 10 or 15 years colored aids might be considered trendy and unprofessional. But in today’s more modern world … GO FOR IT !! At 72 I bought a Sunshine Orange Subaru Crosstrek. It is bright orange and sticks out … I LOVE IT!!! My aids are still beige … I should have looked for bright orange to match the car. Hmmm …
I think that it depends, to a certain extent, on the profession and on the overall appearance of the person. If it is hearing aids only and it isn’t outlandish, then maybe no. But if they are part of the person trying to make a statement of some sort, then yes, in the professional circles I was in, it would be a negative for the person’s credibility. And what does a professional have, anyway, other than his or her credibility?
Like most things, the answer is “it depends.” What’s the workplace culture? If everybody is in business suits and all jewelry is pretty sedate, I’d go with hearing aids that try to blend in. If on the other hand vibrant jewelry, tattoos and piercings are commonplace, go for it.
I spent 8 years in the Navy and dressing like every one else didn’t bother me.
But after I left the Navy, I was offered a position with IBM and turned it down because I didn’t want to wear a suit and white shirt and tie every day. I haven’t regretted that decision. I joined the Navy because I didn’t have to wear a tie, and I wasn’t going to after leaving the service either.
Being a Texan jeans, western shirt and boots has always been my preferred dress code.
To me, anyone wearing brightly colored hearing aids has reached the point of “owning” their hearing loss. They are not afraid of being vulnerable and that is someone I would trust.