Teens Ready Using Contact Lenses Have a lot to Look Forward to and Little to Fear

You don't have to be a certain age to wear contact lenses. When necessary for vision correction, even infants can wear them. If your teen thinks he or she is ready to put aside the glasses and start using contact lenses, there are several factors to consider.

Responsibility is required. There's good news when it comes to teens using contact lenses. A three-year study conducted by the Indiana University School of Optometry showed children ages 11 to 13 were able to handle contacts well and understand how to properly care for them. In addition, research shows when it comes to using contact lenses:

• Teens and children tend to be more diligent about cleaning their contact lenses than adults, who often become more casual about cleaning after years of use.
• Teens take contact lenses seriously. Teens are often more careful about following the directions given to them by their eyecare professional.
• Teens are brand loyal. Teens tend to stick to the brand of cleaning solution recommended to them by their eyecare professional. Adults, on the other hand, are more likely to switch to different brands, sometimes ones that are incompatible with their lenses, causing damage to the lenses and irritation to the eyes.

Cleaning is not optional. Cleaning regimens for contacts are not difficult, but they must be adhered to. Not doing so can result in eye irritation and even some very serious eye infections. For most types of contacts, a bottle of cleaning solution and a contact case are all that's necessary to keep contacts clean and in good condition. One type of contact lenses doesn't require cleaning at all. Daily disposables are meant to be worn during the day and then discarded at night. A fresh pair is used the next morning. Daily disposable contacts might be the best option for some teens.

Lenses are not unbreakable. What if something happens to your child's lenses? It's not the end of the world. In fact, many eyecare practitioners offer lens insurance, which provides for new lenses if the original lenses are lost or torn. With disposables, because the lenses are discarded after use each day, insurance is not necessary. Ask your eyecare professional about lens insurance.

And, when it comes to saving money, active teens might actually fare better with contact lenses over eyeglasses. In activities like football, basketball and cheerleading, contact lenses allow teens to focus on their performance, not on breaking their eyeglasses. In addition, some sports use goggles, like swimming and skiing. Goggles are more convenient and comfortable to wear over contact lenses than eyeglasses. In all activities, contact lenses allow for superior peripheral vision over eyeglasses.

A prescription is necessary. In order to get contact lenses, your child will need a prescription. This also applies for lenses in plano form, which means without vision correction. Plano form lenses popular among teens include color lenses and special effects lenses.

Accompany your child to his or her visit with an eyecare professional, who will write a prescription for the proper size, shape, power and brand of lenses. Let your child ask the eyecare professional about the pros and cons about using contact lenses. As a team, you can decide if contact lenses are right for your child.

Give contacts a try. If you think your teen is ready for using contact lenses, allow a trial period and see how it goes. If your child proves he or she isn't ready for contacts, go back to eyeglasses. Your child can always try using contact lenses again down the road. For more information about using contact lenses, feel free to browse this site.

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