You can also pierce your ear drum with that thing (if something hits your elbow at the wrong moment) ....about 12 years later and it's almost as good as it was before it happened 😎😵
You have to insert it in both ears deep and hold there for a minute or two until you hear a beep or vibration (varies according to models ) and i repeat do not and i mean DO NOT try to move your head (or any other parts) until the process is complete .
I work in a manufacturing environment and put in ear plugs every day. Generally this is a two handed procedure, where you pull your ear back to get a good angle to correctly insert the plug, but after doing it multiple times a day, ever day, for years, you get pretty good at double fisting your own ear canals.
Every once in a while, you hit the angle and risk resetting yourself to factory settings.
The real risk is losing the fucking thing up there, and it really feels like you might for a second.
I used to swab my ears. Stopped doing it ten years ago, and I stopped having issues with my ears. It's almost like we are not supposed to put things there.