What’s the Right Age for Contacts?
Your kids, especially your tweens and teens, are chomping at the bit to get rid of their glasses and move into contact lenses. As a parent, you’re also ready to stop worrying about lost or broken eyeglasses and the complications presented during sports. Everyone’s preferences aside, when can kids transition from glasses to contact lenses? What’s the right age for contact lenses?
The answer is: it depends. Age isn’t the definitive factor; from a strict eye health perspective, kids can tolerate contact lenses safely and often do so when certain eye conditions are present. It’s the child’s abilities and level of responsibility that matter most.
If you’re interested in discussing contact lenses in Orlando for your child, visit us at Bay Hill Eye Care. We offer full-service family eye care, including contact lens fittings for children and teens.
When Are Children Ready for Contacts?
Simply put: Children are ready for contact lenses when they can wear and care for them properly. Parents and other adults can support children in these efforts, but the bulk of the responsibility for consistently applying healthy wear and care habits lies with the child.
In general, most eye-care professionals recommend starting kids in contact lenses between ages 11 and 14. If you’re wondering if your child is ready, ask yourself these questions about your child:
- How is their personal hygiene?
- Are they compliant with things like hand washing, tooth brushing, and other similar personal care things?
- Do they need daily reminders to do basic stuff like close doors or take their lunch to school?
- Do they follow instructions carefully?
Some kids are ready earlier than 11, and others need to be older. The Orlando eye care professionals at Bay Hill Eye Care will work with you to determine when your child is ready for contact lenses.
Why does readiness matter?
Many kids end up in the emergency room every year because of injuries related to contact lenses. The most common complications and infections and abrasions, both of which are likely to occur when children neglect to follow instructions and don’t practice proper hygiene when using their lenses.
Talk to the Orlando eye care center doctors about your child’s readiness for contacts. Our team specializes in pediatric eye care. We’ll train you and your child to wear and care for their contact lenses properly.
Is Trying Contacts with Kids Worth the Extra Effort?
Absolutely! Contacts come with lots of benefits for kids, including the following:
- Improved confidence. At Bay Hill Eye Care, we’re passionate about eye care services in Orlando, FL, and we think glasses look amazing. But kids can be…tough. Contacts can boost their self-esteem and improve how they feel about how they look. Eyeglasses can make even confident kids feel self-conscious about their appearance.
- Convenience. Glasses and sports really don’t mix. If your child plays sports, you know how difficult it can be to manage glasses. Contact lenses are much easier to manage; wearers don’t need to worry about getting broken or lost eyeglasses. Contacts are also easier and cheaper to replace.
- Future use. Children who use contacts can wear them throughout their lives. Adults who’ve never tried them often struggle to adjust.
At Bay Hill Eye Care, we offer professional eye care you need to get your child into a pair of contact lenses in Orlando. Come in for a consultation today. We’ll schedule an exam, get the lenses fitted, and provide the regular, attentive follow-up care your child needs to be happy and safe with their new lenses.
About Bay Hill Eye Care
When choosing an eye care professional to care for your children’s eyes, you want nothing but the best. Both our doctors have extensive experience treating children and their special vision issues. You’ll find everything you need for your children at our office, including expert contact lens consultations, exams, fittings, and follow-up care. We provide all kinds of contact lenses for children, including the following:
- scleral contact lenses
- myopia control contact lenses
- multifocal contact lenses
- astigmatism contacts
Schedule an appointment today in our comfortable, kid-friendly office. When they’re ready, we’re prepared to make contact lenses work for your kids.