To absolutely HATE wearing glasses?

10 years later you will need reading glasses again. But it gives you 10 extra blissful glasses free years

i tried the two different contacts lens thing as I find it hard to read close up when I’ve got my contacts in now. It was OK and it did work, but the distance was not quite good enough and made me feel a bit unsafe especially when driving.
I just have my standard prescription and buy loads of cheap readers from the supermarket. When you’re used to spending £300 plus on varifocals and A £10 pair is such a novelty.

I've worn glasses fine for years. A couple of months ago I got some new ones and they drive me mad! Took them back, they said they were fine, took them back again and the woman took one look and said "the bridge is too wide for your nose". Until she pointed it out I hadn't realised. Tried on a similar pair with a slightly narrower bridge and immediately they felt better.

Look in the mirror, are the glasses settled onto your bridge correctly?

I had both eyes done for £6000. One eye had severe astigmatism so needed a Toric lens which added £1000 otherwise it would have been £5,000. Each operation took 10 minutes, weird feeling but no pain or discomfort. Went home with eye dilated so lots of bright lights. Woke up next morning with good vision which got better over the day. Second eye two weeks later. Best money I’ve ever spent.

I’ve worn them since I was 10, I’m -5.75 so I can’t get by without them.

I used to be really self conscious about them, I was the only person in my class at school who wore glasses for a couple of years. I wore contacts for years pretty much every time I left the house, but I can’t be bothered with the faffing about anymore so save them for nights out.

i only ever have plastic frames, I really hate the nose bridge thingies on metal ones. Plus as the lenses are pretty thick even with slimming I have to have a big frame.

This is exactly my experience, but after about 2.5 years I’m finally starting to find them less annoying. I have started carrying a handbag around the house with me with my glasses, phone, iPad and lip balm because I got so annoyed with not having my glasses there when I needed them. I also keep a tiny pair of folding ones in my proper handbag for menus and food labels when I’m out and about.

I think when you only start needing them in midlife, it’s much more of an adjustment and it’s very striking what a poor solution they are and how inconvenient. Especially when you don’t need to wear them for everything, and actually can’t see as well at a distance with them on. The on-off dance is so irritating.

For me contact lenses are much better for astigmatism (I think because they are closer to the eye), distant glasses make me feel a bit dizzy, I have RGP contacts for distance and tend to just put on, off the shelf readers when necessary. RGP lenses are much cheaper and I think give better vision than soft lenses. You can get bi-focal lenses but I haven't tried them.

I've had glasses since I was 5. I hated them so much then; the feeling of them on my face, they made the bridge of my nose tickle and feel almost..static?

Now I'm used to them, in my thirties. I don't actually like my face without them as much, I'm that used to them! Wore contacts on my wedding day and oh my God, I felt like an imposter every time I saw myself. 😂 Promise you get used to it.

DH's vision isn't as poor as mine (I'm short sighted, can't see the world at all without glasses unless it's half an inch before my face), but he has poor short and long vision. He has two pairs of glasses because he loathed varifocals. Poor man can't ever get the best of both worlds at the same time, but he finds it easier this way. Varifocals made him feel unwell.

Also, have you had the lenses slimmed down? You do have to pay more but it makes a huge difference.

I can't bear glasses on my face. The lack of peripheral vision, the constant awareness of something plastic on my face, them never feeling quite right on my nose (and I've had loads of pairs over the last 30 years so it's definitely me that's the problem). I wear them when I first get up in the morning but hate cooking or doing anything in them so it has to be contacts.

On retirement my husband and myself attended Moorfields eye hospital as private patients to have ‘replacement lenses’ implanted. I had worn glasses for 50 years, very short sighted and with astigmatism. He had only worn glasses for a few years. 10 years on we are so happy we did it.

And I loathe glasses. I wear contacts daily and have done for 15yrs. I had to wear glasses after a general anaestheic but put my contacts in the next morning as soon as I knew I'd be discharged.

OP do you mean astigmatism? I have that but wear normal contact lenses. I found a diameter that worked perfectly for me. You can ask optician to recommend a different type which is cheaper.

I hate glasses too. I vainly think they magnify my under eye wrinkles and add years to me.
I have astigmatism and need glasses for short and long sightedness. I now only wear contacts (toric ones for my rugby ball shaped eyes) and one contact is for reading and one is for distance-can't remember what they are called ?monofocal?

I've just gone back to glasses after 40 years of lenses. Just couldn't be bothered with them any more.
I can't have laser surgery because of my prescription.
I have plastic frames as mine would look hideous with metal ones.

@TicTac80 can i ask roughly how much you paid for consultations and the actual surgery? Thanks

Echo PPs, the plastic framed ones are a lot more comfortable to wear. Also once you do get a comfortable pair, note the measurements of the nose bridge and arms and look for that in future pairs.
I'm late 40s and needed to wear them permanently for about 6 years. I now feel odd without them and they do hide a tired face imo! But getting a comfortable pair is crucial.

I hate wearing glasses .hate it.

Short sighted people also tend to get less short sighted with age.

I've needed reading glasses for about 2 years, whereas before I had perfect vision.
I recently got a pair of varifocals as I need to be able to see small labels at work and was forever dropping my readers/leaving in random places and then couldn't read stuff!
Was intending to wear them out and about but just hate them so they are work only!
I use readers at home though but have about 5 cheap pairs kicking about the place.

Ah, I feel your pain. I have nearly started a similar thread several times. I had absolutely no vision problems until about 45 then started needing readers and it all deteriated quite quickly. It's definitely not a vanity thing - I quite like how they suit me and like having different styles..it's just the FAFF, all the time. I'm not bad enough for varifocals but need them for reading and middle distance like watching TV, looking at the whiteboard at work (teacher) but not driving etc. Hate walking round in them as it makes me feel dizzy but need them constantly for glancing at my phone, reading labels, even just telling the time etc. They're on and off, on my head, put down somewhere etc. They're also constantly grubby from all the on and off so I'm always cleaning them. I put them in a case in my bag so they don't get damaged and then need them again 2 minutes later for something!

Laser surgery was the best thing I have ever done. Quality of life was so much better.

You should ABSOLUTELY change opticians! Some opticians are odd and old school with very strong views on contacts. Others are the opposite and really push them for the revenue stream. A good optician will give you pros and cons and be willing to try a few different things with you.

If you can afford it, I see no reason not to try contacts. If they don't work for your prescription they don't work but what is the harm in trying. There is no way I could have got by without them.

I always keep a spare pair (the ones from a previous prescription) in my bag!

Lens replacement surgery was the best thing I ever did. 20:20 vision at 49 with no future risk of cataracts ( both my parents had to have surgery). I wear reading glasses for very detailed work in my job which requires precision beyond the standard reading test. my optician tells me a great job was job wax done with perfectly centred lenses.