Are Contact Lenses Suitable For Children?

Wearing contact lenses can bring ease and freedom to everyday life. They also provide all-around vision, resulting in greater vision quality compared to glasses. As a parent or guardian of a spectacle-wearing child, you may be wondering if there’s a ‘right’ age for children’s contact lenses. In this post, we clarify some common contact lens myths and share some tips on caring for contact lenses so that children can safely enjoy their benefits.

Is It Safe For Children To Wear Contacts?

It’s a common misconception that children cannot wear contact lenses until they reach their late teens. This is simply not true. Thanks to advances in modern materials, it’s perfectly safe for children to wear contacts. While there is no minimum age for children to wear contact lenses, it is important that they are mature enough to properly wear and care for their lenses. If they lack the motivation to practise good contact lens hygiene, they may not yet be ready to accept the responsibility of wearing contacts. Poor contact lens care can lead to infection and irritation.

Why Wear Contact Lenses?

Contact lenses for children offer many benefits. To start with, wearing contact lenses can increase a person’s self-confidence. Many parents note that wearing contact lenses improves their child’s self-esteem and makes them feel better about their appearance at school.

Wearing contact lenses also gives children the freedom to play, run, or participate in sports without the risk of breaking or losing their glasses. Contact lenses can also enhance athletic performance as they don’t get in the way of things like traditional glasses do.

Finally, many children break or lose their glasses – frequently! Other children bring their glasses to school but refuse to wear them which can cause their prescription to progress. The beauty of contact lenses is that there’s less chance of damaging them and replacing lenses is cheaper than replacing glasses. Plus, your child’s vision will not be compromised during the school day if they refuse to wear their glasses.

Caring For Contact Lenses

To safely wear contact lenses, your child must be capable of caring for them properly. It’s important to make sure your child understands their responsibility to practise good contact lens care. If they don’t, they may not be quite ready to wear contacts. Proper lens hygiene can include thoroughly washing their hands before handling their contacts, taking them out before bed no matter how tired they are, and keeping the contact lenses in clean solution.

Contact Us

If your child is interested in wearing contact lenses, please contact us to make a contact lens consultation at our opticians in Potters Bar, Temple Fortune, and Finchley. Our friendly staff look forward to hearing from you.