Key Questions To Ask When Determining If Your Teenager Is Ready For Contact Lenses

In today's word, it's almost impossible for teenagers to be unaware of the benefits of contact lenses. Given that more than one out of five people between the ages of twelve and twenty wear corrective lenses of some type, the need for glasses or contact lenses of some type for young people is clear. However, although many people find the use of contact lenses to be easy once they get used to it, they are still a medical device with the potential for harm if used improperly. Since some teenagers aren't quite ready for all of the responsibilities associated with caring for their lenses, it's a good idea to ask the following questions when your teenager requests new contacts. 

Does Your Teenaged Son Or Daughter Practice Good Hygiene And Cleanliness Without Being Told?  

One problem that has been seen in recent years has resulted from people who didn't remove their disposable contact lenses often enough, allowing for the risk of significant irritation and infection. Given that the Food and Drug Administration has mentioned that teens are at a higher risk of not complying with the directions for safe use of contact lenses, it's important to be sure that your teenager is able to do so.

Since the best indicator of future behavior is often past behavior, you can assess the likelihood of your son or daughter wearing their contacts as recommended by considering how responsible he or she is with caring for themselves and their belongings. For instance, if a teenager remembers to do their own laundry, keep their room clean or follow through with other expected tasks without being reminded, it's an excellent indicator that caring for their contact lenses won't be a problem. If your teen needs to be reminded to do those tasks, it could be a sign that the opposite is true and it might be more appropriate to delay their use of contacts for a bit longer.      

Why Does Your Teen Want Contact Lenses?

As part of your decision-making process, you might want to take a minute to determine why your son or daughter wants to get contacts. That is due to the fact that contact lenses can be used for both aesthetic and medical reasons, so it's best for your teenager to have reasonable expectations of their new contacts. For instance, some teenagers with low self-esteem might think that if their eyes were a different hue or a rarely seen color, their new look would help them to be more popular and thus, happier.

Therefore, if your son or daughter wants contact lenses for that reason or a similar reason, you should educate them about the reality of the situation and of course, see what you can do to help them to improve their self-image. However, if they want the lenses because they just don't like glasses or because being nearsighted forces them to minimize their ability to play sports, they will typically be a better candidate for them.          

In conclusion, contact lenses can often make life easier for its users and there is an obvious aesthetic appeal from opting for them in lieu of glasses. Therefore, if you're unsure as to whether or not your teen is ready for them, getting the answers to the above questions can help you to make the right choice.