What age was your child able to manage contact lenses?

[opalescent]

My son is 11, and desperately trying to master putting in lenses. He wears glasses (and looks gorgeous), but is fed up of his glasses getting knocked off during sports, and also seems to be cultivating a new look 🤣

He's had 3 contact lens trials, with a very patient optician, and gets REALLY close, but seems to blink at the last second every time. We have tried all manner of techniques!

I'm wondering if he just doesn't have the dexterity yet, and we should shelve it for now.

Any thoughts or tips gratefully received

I was 12 when I started wearing them (same reasons!) and it took ages to get used to putting them in. Maybe give him a bit longer to try or put it back for a year?

Mine has at 15 but did not try sooner tbf

she doesn’t wear all the time just when she needs to but finds them v comfortable

I was 13.
i took the hygiene aspect seriously

Ds 13 - he has a friend who’d been wearing them since 10 which gave him the confidence. It took four sessions at specsavers and he hasn’t looked back

Age 10 here - although not regularly. We did go to two different opticians though as the technique they taught were slightly different and the second was much better for my daughter. Ask around for optician recommendations locally.

My dd was just turned 11, for much the same reasons as your ds. She was highly motivated as she just didn’t want to wear glasses.

She took to them like a duck to water, but I think what maybe helped was that both dh and I wear lenses so she was quite used to seeing us putting them in and out

I was 13/14 but I had a cousin who did it at 10. Is he able to practice at home (not at the opticians office) with a spare pair, as even if the optician is patient he may find his own environment easier?

Oh and age 10-13 he had specialist sports glasses which were really cool and can’t come off during sports (they were originally designed for American lacrosse players). Even specsavers has them, you have to order them from a catalog specially they won’t be on the shelf. At least £100 + (but cheaper than contacts !)

DS was 11 and was motivated by wanting to play sport. It took about 10 days for him to master the art of putting them in and taking them out quickly. He managed before that, with perseverance, but the technique suddenly clicked one day.

Opticians won't allow patients to take them home to practice in case they encounter any issues, the main one being if they get them in but can't get them out.

My son started contacts at 8, he’s 10 now and manages fine

DS was 12, soft lenses. He was keen due to not being able to see properly to play Rugby and being teased.

Eleven. Year 6 but took quite a few sessions to master. He’ll get there. Persevere. So much better than glasses. My son’s dexterity is awful but he managed.

I’m an optometrist. Boys are usually fine at 10/11. Get him to practice holding his eye open in the mirror whilst touching the white of his eye (with a clean finger - he won’t feel it).

Ex contact lens op here :)

I advise the younger ones to going away and just practice touching their eye for a couple for weeks and then go back for another teach.

Obviously make sure hands are thoroughly washed and dry and only touch the white part of the eye. Basically pretend your putting a lens in. I found almost all the kids that I sent away to do this would come back and master their lenses. Most opticians won't let you take lenses home unless they have seen you're able to insert and remove yourself confidently so this is an easy practice option

I started at 10. As far as I remember there was no tuition, no youtube. Its really not hard

35 years later I still wear extended wear lenses.

My brother and I both managed at 12.

Vision Express gave my kids a week’s supply (?) to practice.

My teens started at 14 ish

It took a long time at first but daily practice has made it first time in very quickly

My child was 9 but they are overnight lenses.

Most opticians won't let you take lenses home unless they have seen you're able to insert and remove yourself confidently so this is an easy practice option

Vision Express gave them trial lenses when they demonstrated taking them off and putting them in

I was 13.
He could practice putting saline eye drops in his eye just to get used to getting close and not blinking?

There might be someone else at the Opticians that would have a different technique. I couldn't do it when the optician showed me but managed it when one of the assistants sat down with me, maybe because it felt less rushed.

I was 7, almost 8, when I started wearing them (now 25). I think some people get it straight away and others are a bit squeamish about touching their eye. Most people get there in the end. I was being horrendously bullied so I was determined