Ever seen little curved shavings on your desk, bed or even on your wrist when you take off your smartwatch? At first glance they resemble tiny Velcro hooks. The Velcro-like shavings mystery can be bemusing if you don’t have any Velcro handy, you might think — where did they come from?
The Mystery of the Velcro-Shavings: Where Do They Come From?
One of the most frequent sources of these tiny shavings is something many of us put on every araw: smartwatch or fitness tracker bands. If you have a device with a silicone or rubber strap, you’ve probably encountered these mysterious little curls before. So, the mystery about velcro-like shavings is explained by the effect of friction, sweat and having a daily motion that “just like a road with a long truck driving on it will become dusty along the road-side, material will be removed little by little and will be expelled as pieces miniature that looks like a hook from a velcro.”
- Daily Use and Tear – Wear isn’t always permanent on smartwatch straps. The more you twist your wrist, spin your watch, put it on and take it off, the more quickly the material breaks down, adding to the Velcro-like shavings mystery.
- Sweat and Skin Oils – When you wear your watch during a workout, sweat settles under the band, and the skin generates oils as well. This weakens the material over time, resulting in flaking.
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Desk and Clothing Friction – Resting your wrist on a desk while typing or wearing long sleeves that rub against your watch band will increase wear and tear.
- Cheaper or Old Bands – Not all bands are created equal. Fluoroelastomer is a quality material that will have more longevity, while lower quality silicone and rubber bands will break down faster.
Panicky About These Velcro-Like Shavings? Here’s What To Know
These little shavings just mean your watch band is getting older. There won’t be anything that damages your device or causes harm. If you do have that skin irritation, though, if you start to see excessive shedding, cracks or other signs of wear on your skin, it’s likely time to pull your band. So it’s possible the Velcro-like shavings mystery is the universe Ra-ing on about the need to upgrade to a new band.
