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At what age can kids wear contacts? Glasses can look cool and stylish, but children often don’t want to wear them at school. They may worry that they could be teased or will look less attractive. Glasses can also hinder kids who play sports or do activities that make keeping glasses on challenging.
These concerns, along with the advent of disposable contact lenses, have led more parents to consider contact lenses for their kids. Let’s look at the increased popularity of contact lenses for youngsters. Below, we present key considerations for parents regarding their child’s readiness for contact lenses.
Glasses Versus Contact Lenses
Glasses are still the first choice for vision correction. People who wear contacts typically start with glasses and usually retain a backup pair. At some point, many people who wear glasses, particularly teens and young adults, will consider getting contact lenses. They anticipate that the self-esteem boost that comes with the contacts will inspire new confidence in school, social settings, or the workplace. Accordingly, optometrists have long prescribed contact lenses for teenagers.
What about tweens and younger kids? Contacts are still uncommon for children under the age of nine, but more practitioners are fitting 10 to 12-year-olds. Optometrists report that they fit children in contact lenses mainly because of the availability of daily disposable lenses and improved contact lens materials overall. Other common reasons cited are requests from the parent or child and providing vision correction for those active in sports or other activities.
At What Age Can Kids Wear Contacts? Factors to Consider When Assessing Readiness for Contact Lenses
Contact lenses require more care and responsibility than glasses. Parents should consider four main factors in determining their child’s ability to handle contact lenses.
Age and Maturity Level
Contact lenses require maturity and the ability to manage caring for them. Parents must consider the child’s ability to follow instructions, maintain proper hygiene, and handle the lenses safely. Assess how your youngster deals with other responsibilities, especially those related to personal hygiene. They should be mature enough to adopt and maintain an eye care routine without constant parental reminders.
Motivation and Lifestyle
A child’s motivation for wanting contact lenses is an important determinant of whether their transition to contact lenses will be successful. For participants in many sports, keeping glasses on or minimizing the risk of breakage is challenging. Contact lenses are often more practical. They offer a wider field of vision and do not slip or fog up. In many sports, contacts can eliminate the need for sport-specific eyewear. However, contacts do not offer protection from dust or UV rays like glasses do.
Eye Health and Types of Lenses
Your eye care professional should evaluate your child’s eye health and determine if contact lenses are appropriate. They may consider your child’s eye shape, any underlying eye conditions, the prescription required, and overall health. For example, wearing contacts is not ideal for children with allergies, as lenses could increase the associated itching and burning.
Contacts carry risks of irritations and infections. The child needs to know how to handle them and properly disinfect them if they’re not disposable. They need to know when to replace contacts, whether to sleep in them, what to clean them with, and even to apply makeup after they are inserted—not before. More than 70,000 children wind up in the emergency room each year for injuries and complications from medical devices. About one-fourth are infections or injuries related to contact lenses.
The types of contact lenses appropriate for the child’s prescription also affect eye health. Here are three common types:
- Daily disposable lenses can decrease the risk of harm since they are replaced every day. The kind of disposable lenses worn for two weeks don’t offer this benefit; these still need to be cleaned daily.
- Rigid gas-permeable lenses are a good choice for maintaining eye health since they are smaller and more resistant to bacteria and deposits. They can also provide crisper vision due to their firm material, which can help with peripheral vision and more.
- Corrective contact lenses can slow the progression of nearsightedness in children and are recommended for kids between eight and twelve years old. These are disposable lenses worn during the daytime and discarded nightly.
At What Age Can Kids Wear Contacts? Parental Support is Crucial.
Parents play a vital role in their children’s safety and health. That includes vision and eye health—especially when it comes to the use of contact lenses. Parents must be aware of proper contact lens care and hygiene to support their child’s efforts to safely adapt to contact lens wear. They should support the child’s contact lens preference and understand their role in overseeing their child’s contact lens routine.
Is Your Child Ready for Contact Lenses?
At what age can kids wear contacts? The answer depends on the youngster’s maturity, reasons for wanting contacts, motivation, ability to care for the lenses, and parental support. Teens, tweens, and even younger children can safely and successfully wear contact lenses if they care for them properly. Besides improving their vision, contact lenses may also improve children’s perceptions of their physical appearance, confidence in social interactions, and ability to participate in many activities.
Parents need to consult an eye care professional to evaluate their child’s suitability for contact lenses and receive personalized recommendations. Each child’s needs and maturity level are different, so it’s essential to make an informed decision about whether your kid is ready for contact lenses.
Vision Care Direct offers plans that include benefits for glasses and contact lenses. A Vision Care Direct plan can enable you to consult with an eye care professional about your child and allow you to purchase whatever eyewear is appropriate for the child’s needs. For more information, call us at (855)-918-2020 or email oklahoma@visioncaredirect.com.
Summary
At what age can kids wear contacts? The answer depends on the youngster’s maturity, reasons for wanting contacts, motivation, ability to care for the lenses, and parental support. Teens, tweens, and even younger children can safely and successfully wear contact lenses if they care for them properly.
