Ready for Contact Lenses? Here’s What You Need to Know

If you have a child who wears glasses, chances are, you’ve gotten the request (or more accurately, the begging and pleading) for contact lenses.

Let’s face it; glasses can be tough for kids.

Not only are children and teens often worried that they’ll look different in glasses or receive some unwanted attention, gasses can also make those activities they love to do a bit harder – like swimming and playing sports.

If this issue sounds familiar, you’ve probably wondered if your child is too young to wear contacts. Unfortunately, there’s no black and white threshold age for wearing contacts; every child is different and there are many factors that contribute to whether or not your child is ready to take that step.

What You Need to Consider

While it may not seem like a big deal to allow your child to take the “contact lens plunge,” the fact of the matter is that wearing contacts is likely a bigger commitment than you’ve considered; wearing lenses requires a good deal of care and attention to hygiene. You’ll need to consider whether or not your child is ready to:

 

• Adhere to a schedule: Sometimes, your eye doctor will recommend wearing contacts only a certain number of hours during the day. Your child must be willing to abide by this schedule – even if you’re not around to constantly remind him or her.

• Keep track of the life of the lens: Contacts don’t last forever, and it’s important to replace lenses when they’re “expired” or worn past the recommended amount of time. Over-wearing lenses can lead to infections (and pain!).

• Clean and store lenses correctly: Lenses require daily care, so your child must be committed to cleaning their lenses every day. Using an ophthalmologist approved cleaning solution and a sterile container is critical.

• Know how to react: When you wear lenses, things will happen; your child might lose a lens while at school or playing sports. Your child should know how to react in these situations and be able to handle them as they come.

• Keep a spare pair: Your child should be ready for anything, so make sure he or she is accustomed to keeping an extra pair of glasses around if needed. These will be critical if they’re experiencing eye irritation or lose a contact unexpectedly.

The Right Time for Contact Lenses

While there’s no definite age for your child to definitely be ready for contacts, you’ll need to honestly assess his or her maturity – and his or her motivation behind wanting contacts. Is your child responsible about his or her personal hygiene regimens? Think about how they care for their teeth; if your child has had braces and you found yourself fighting him or her to properly clean their teeth, that might be a good indication that your child isn’t ready to take on the responsibility of contact lenses. Older children and teens might be ready for lenses if they’ve shown an ability to take on responsibilities with maturity.

If you think your child or teen might be ready for contacts (or if you are!), it’s important to get a special contact lens exam from a trusted eye doctor. Your doctor will talk to you and your child about the responsibilities involved with contact lens use and help you understand exactly how to properly care for your eyes and your lenses.

Wearing contacts is a big step, and can help your child do the things he or she loves to do everyday – from playing water and contact sports to trying out the season’s trendiest eye shadow color. Talk to us today about helping your kiddo’s contact dream come true!