I would find a good magnifying lens and see if the tips are still there.Agree on dont use Q-tips.They work great on audio heads but not on video heads..
Also you can try to get a clean macro close up with a camera and post it on here for we can analyze it and see if its all there....
More info here.Not affiliated to these sites..
https://www.tgrantphoto.com/sales/in...ken-video-head