I really am convinced that wearing an aid, especially if it's somewhat visible, is helpful when asking people to repeat or speak more clearly or loudly. Sometimes, just pointing the aid (if the person speaking is aware that you use one) is enough to remind them that you don't hear as well as the norms in the world hear. Wearing glasses isn't thought of as a "disability," even though some glasses wearers are nearly blind without them. One of my fellow volunteers, a mere child of 50, had put off getting glasses; today she was wearing a brand-new pair and being obvious about it because now she can see things she's been missing for years. There are so many younger folks who have hearing problems that I don't understand why some people seem to feel hearing aids or CIs brand the person as "old." Shoot, if you fail to notice the wrinkles I've earned from being outdoors for decades and my gray hair, should I stress over the somewhat visible aid? I say somewhat because it depends on whether or not I've taken the time to curl my hair and wear it down instead of pulled back so that I don't need to deal with it. <g> For someone who never uses makeup, five minutes spent on my hair is a really big deal, so most of the time my aid is visible.