Metallic dust or shavings in AirPods case

Hi,

Metallic dust and metal flakes are appearing within the AirPods case. It seems that they are coming from the hinge. I've had the AirPods for about a month now, and this is a problem that I noticed right away and hoped it would work itself out with use. Maybe the hinge was a little too tight and with time it'll wear in. But rather than getting better, it's actually getting worse. it started with just dust around the hinge itself, and now flakes are starting to appear. I really don't want that in my ears, and this is too premium of a product to have such an issue. I used canned air to blow the shavings away, but it's a pain and a potential hazard.

What can I do other than making an appointment and waiting around at an Apple Store? What a miserable customer experience that is...