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The baby’s got blue eyes...
And what beautiful eyes they are too. The baby also has eye sight difficulties and would you be surprised to know that at twelve months is a contact lens wearer?
I have a friend who recently lamented to me over a coffee about his sons desire to ditch the goggles and convert to lenses.
Is he too young?
The answer is simply “no”. Many Opticians would recommend corrective vision in the ofrm of lenses from as young as eleven months. It seems obvious to me that a teen who participates in a healthy lifestyle of sport, hobbies, school and socialising would want to be free of the tie of prescription glasses.
The issue for teens is more the question of whether they will responsibly care for their lenses.
This has been made super-easy for us in this day and age with at most a cleaning solution and a case being the necessary tools. Daily disposable lenses of course don’t need a regime at all as they are thrown away at the end of use. This would make an ideal choice for your teen for that reason alone..
If you go with the alternative lenses that require a cleaning routine, do not panic! Opticians and eye practitioners report that teens and children are actually more diligent about cleaning their lenses than we adults, who become very blasé and complacent after prolonged use. Trust is key!
Lenses will only be issued on a prescription so the correct strength and fit will be customised to your teenagers eyes.Regular eye check ups are then compulsory mush in the same vein as a glasses wearer just more frequent.
Costings may be a factor for your teen. This is a long term and regular financial commitment and will depend on the choice of lens too. An average cost of a pair of disposable lenses is about £1.00 a day therefore affordable to many. Daily disposable lenses give parents peace of mind that a clean set are being worn every day too.
Learning to put in a lens might be the one thing that puts off your teen. It’s only tricky without practice and once you have the knack it will become second nature. Don’t let your
Ease their potential fears as well by advising that there is a membrane barrier that exists between the front and back of each eye so a lens slipping behind the eye ball is impossible.
Lenses are great but your teen may need help deciding whether they want to make the step from glasses to a lens, so perhaps recommend a trial period, so they can also prove to you and their optician that they are ready and willing to take on the responsibility. They can always go back to prescription glasses or consider laser surgery if they are nearing eighteen years of age.
Good luck with their new independence from goggles!