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Where Do the Dead Hair Cells Go?

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.

A man asked:

When the microscopic hair cells are damaged and break off in the cochlea, what happens to them? Are they harmlessly absorbed, or do they float around and impair the action of the remaining hair cells?

Great question. Most people have the misconception that the tiny hairs “break off” from being exposed to loud sounds, or other causes—much like tree branches breaking in a hurricane. This is not the right analogy.

In actual fact, as I understand it, the tiny hairs don’t “break off”. Rather the whole hair cell itself dies—taking with it the bundle of “hairs” numbering between 30 and 300 tiny stereocilia per bundle (what we colloquially call “hairs”) that stick up from each hair cell. These dead cells are then absorbed by the body.

What causes these hair cells to die? One mechanism is being “zapped” by “free radicals” released as a result of loud noise or ototoxic drugs for example. The hair cell either dies from a “direct hit”, or if mortally wounded, programs itself to die through a process called apoptosis.

In addition to dying hair cells, another mechanism is that as we age, the stereocilia seem to slowly disappear—becoming shorter and shorter and finally the whole hair cell is “overrun” by adjacent supporting cells and “disappears”.

In any case, the dead cells are not left to float around and cause havoc with the remaining hearing mechanism.

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Hearing Loss Research & Resources

Free Visor Cards

Download your free Visor Cards for hard of hearing or deaf people here.

Loop Systems

Loop your home or meeting room. Discover how you can hear wonderfully clear sound again when listening to the TV/radio, etc, or when listening to a speaker at a meeting.

Loop systems are one of the best-kept secrets in town. To learn more about Loop Systems and what they can do for you, click here.

Take Control of Your Tinnitus—Here’s How

If your ears ring, buzz, chirp, hiss, click or roar, you know just how annoying tinnitus can be. You do not have to put up with this racket for the rest of your life. This book teaches you many things you can do to help bring your tinnitus under your control so it no longer bothers you.

Learn More | Add to Cart—Printed | Add to Cart—eBook

Sounds Now Too Loud for You?

Hypersensitive to Sound front coverIf some (or all) normal sounds seem so loud they “blow the top of your head off”, or make you wince or jump, or cause you headaches or ear pain, or affect your balance, or result in fear or annoyance of sounds so you feel you have to avoid these sounds, this book is for you!

Learn More | Add to Cart—Printed | Add to Cart—eBook

Hearing Phantom Sounds?

When hard of hearing people begin hearing phantom voices or music, they immediately worry they are going crazy. It never crosses their minds that they are sane and are just experiencing Musical Ear syndrome.

To learn more about the strange phantom sounds of Musical Ear syndrome and what you can do about them, click here to read a comprehensive article about Musical Ear Syndrome.

Or get the book—Learn More | Add to Cart—Printed | Add to Cart—eBook

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Center for Hearing Loss Help

Neil G. Bauman, Ph.D.

1013 Ridgeway Drive, Lynden,
WA 98264-1057 USA

Email: neil@hearinglosshelp.com

Phone: 360-778-1266 (M-F 9:00 AM-5:00 PM PST)

© 2025 Center for Hearing Loss Help – Help for your hearing loss, tinnitus and other ear conditions

"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life [which also includes perfect hearing] through Jesus Christ our Lord." [Romans 6:23]

"But know this, in the last days perilous times will come" [2 Timothy 3:1]. "For there will be famines, pestilences, and [severe] earthquakes in various places" [Matthew 24:7], "distress of nations, the sea and the waves roaring"—tsunamis, hurricanes—Luke 21:25, but this is good news if you have put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, for "when these things begin to happen, lift up your heads [and rejoice] because your redemption draws near" [Luke 21:28].