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Parents Guide to Contact Lenses

This guide is designed to help answer your questions about your teenager wearing contact lenses.

How Do I Know When My Child Is Ready for Contact Lenses?

There’s no “right age” to begin wearing contact lenses. It’s more about your child’s level of responsibility. If you feel your child can responsibly care for lenses, then they’re ready.

If your teen is talking about contacts, and generally likes to try new things, that indicates they will probably have success with contact lenses. Sports and extracurricular activities are also good indicators of being able to follow a routine.

If you still need help determining whether your child is ready for contact lenses, talk to your eye care professional.

Vision Correction Options

Contact lenses are designed for a variety of vision correction needs – from nearsightedness(myopia) and farsightedness (hyperopia), to more advanced needs like astigmatism. While they’re all designed to improve vision, there are differences – in optics, materials, and replacement schedules.

Some contact lenses even have enhanced optics to reduce the effects of spherical aberration, a natural occurrence that can cause halos and glares around lights at night. The optical design of your child’s lens will depend on his or her vision correction needs and how the lenses will be used.

What About Younger-Aged Children?

There are many lens attributes to consider when deciding on a contact lens for your teenager. Your child’s eye care professional will take a number of factors into consideration when determining the right lens for your child, including:

  • Ease of insertion/removal

  • Lens strength to resist damage

  • Ability to resist build-up over time

Lenses are also designed for specific wearing times. Depending on what’s best for your child, your eye care professional may recommend a lens that’s worn for one day (daily disposable), for two weeks of daily wear, or one that’s designed for one month of daily wear.

What’s an Ideal Lens for a First-Time Wearer who is a Teenager?

Bausch + Lomb Soflens daily disposable contact lenses are an ideal choice for the first-time wearer. They offer:

  • High Definition™ Optics for crisp, clear vision, plus comfort and easy handling (Ref: B+L Data on File: A total of 84 subjects participated in a 4-week, cross-over clinical investigation of SofLens daily disposable and SofLens one day contact lenses. Subjects were instructed to wear the lenses on a daily wear, daily disposable basis. At the completion of the study, subjects completed a forced-choice preference questionnaire.)

  • Great performance and comfort for your child’s lifestyle

  • A healthy, safe option for your peace of mind

The convenience of being worn once and then thrown away, so you don’t have to worry about the hassle of cleaning or storing.