Why do music fans choose to wear earplugs at festivals?

Loop’s website features images of people wearing their gear in casual and fun settings, and the brand has also collaborated with festivals like Coachella and Tomorrowland.

According to Alpine CEO Arthur van Keeken, their headphones were popular with “young, urban people” – precisely the audience for such events.

He believes that they are more proactive about taking care of their hearing and that music fans will look to the future for ear protection in the same way that skiers look to helmets.

The Association of British Audiologists – healthcare professionals who specialize in diagnosing and treating ear problems – say hearing loss is one of the most common disabilities.

According to the Royal National Association of Deaf People (RNID), it affects one in three UK adults.

Frankie Oliver, the charity’s audiology manager, said: ‘Under a microscope, the sound-sensing cells in our ears and the tiny hairs that grow out of them look like thatch at a festival.

“On the first day, the grass looks beautiful,” she said. “Nice and green.”

“It’s fine after the first couple of days. But by the end of the weekend it looks pretty dead and may not come back.”

“The same thing is happening when we expose our ears to loud noises.”

Oliver says it’s a good thing that earplugs are increasingly being seen as “an accessory for the night rather than something you should use.”

But like our ears, not all are created equal.