I hope to qualify for a cochlear implant, but I have a question for anyone who already has one.
If your hair is long or thick enough to cover the magnetic headpiece, does it interfere with the hearing? What about wearing a wig? Would I still be able to hear?
Thank you for any info!
Welcome to the forum @Vicki_R.
As your hair brushes across the microphones on the processor you will experience some noise.
I’m bimodal N8 but have shorter hair and I don’t get any interference from my hair and the microphone’s.
You will still be able to hear just with a bit more background noise. The magnet site just activates the processor allowing the processor to do all the hearing.
If you wear a wig that prevents the coil from attaching to the magnet site you won’t be able to hear.
Good luck on your new hearing journey.
Thank you so much for the advice. I’m wondering when vanity collides with hearing better, lol.
@Vicki_R I’ve had my CI now for 5.5 years. I’ve got to the stage i just don’t care about the processor being much bigger than my BTE aids. I don’t care about people being able to see the processor. I’m just extremely grateful to be able to hear again, with this wonderful device.
As long as the magnet is attached to your implant the processor can be almost anywhere. There are coils with really long wires available just for this purpose.
Many CI people are proud of their processors and show them off with bright colors.
Good luck
I’ve had long hair (>50cm) and now short hair, and I didn’t/don’t have a problem. Only when I move my hair over the microphones of the sound processor (there are 2 mics) I hear some rubbing.
I guess vanity goes out when it’s a matter of being able to hear or not!
I wonder if wearing a wig would even be an option.
That’s good to know…thanks!
It depends on thickness of the wiggle “scalp” and magnet strenght on the coil part which ranges on a scale from 1 to 5 (6, the strongest, is after clinician consult). I use 3. I have Cochlear company CI. I don’t know about strenghts on Med-El and Advanced Bionics coil magnets.
Thanks for the info!