“Age is not the issue, it’s the matter of maturity”, says Bernard P. Lepri, O.D., M.S., M.Ed., an FDA optometrist in the agency’s Contact Lens and Retinal Devices Branch. 

Parents become very concerned when their kid or teenage child demands colored contact lenses. Although wearing colored contact lenses could invite some worry, today with advancement in technology there are colored contact lenses for nearly everyone regardless of what age bracket they fall into. If your child is mature enough to perform his responsibilities with minimum or zero dependability, he may make the right candidate of colored contact lenses. 

There is no denial in the fact that colored lenses help improving a child’s self-esteem when he is put on colored lenses. He feels less left-out and is more welcoming at accepting his image. With glasses children feel shy and think lower of their looks and personality. 

Furthermore, colored lenses encourage children to be more active, more social & participate in sports aggressively. While glasses may keep children from active lifestyle; with colored contacts children may freely run, jog and play basketball without the burden of heavy frames that keep fidgeting

First and foremost, as a parent you must schedule an appointment with your doctor. More than his acceptance and likeness towards colored contact lenses, it is important to know if his ocular health allows him to prefer colored contact lenses over glasses. A doctor will perform a thorough eye exam to study the general health of his eyes on the basis of which he will be able to suggest the appropriate brands of colored contact lenses along with the replacement schedule.

The second thing is motivation on both ends. As a child, he must feel enthusiastic about the big change and has motivation to take proper care of his contacts. While, as a parent you must reinforce healthy practices of wearing colored contact lenses and hygiene. 

Although, your child may be responsible enough to wear and maintain colored contact lenses on his own, supervision from parents is crucial.

Many doctors believe that colored contact lenses are safer for children than glasses if he is welcoming towards accepting a new responsibility and taking it more as a habit. Glasses can shatter during sporting and may injure. On the other hand, colored contact lenses are safer. They also offer improved peripheral vision. Experts opine that children are less likely to suffer from dry eye syndrome hence there are less chances of contact lenses bothering them. 

The best bet to start your child’s journey is introducing him with daily disposable colored contact lenses. Once the transitional phase is over, he may be open to other options available depending on his own lifestyle and preferences. Daily disposable lenses limit the use of cleaning solutions and tools which tricks his mind into thinking that wearing colored contact lenses is something anyone of his age can do. Furthermore, daily disposable colored contact lenses are the most comfortable contacts as there is no contamination or product buildup to interfere with one’s healthy cornea. Discuss options with your eye doctor if you find yourself in the dilemma.