“It’s not that I’m vain, but…” – one of the most commonly uttered phrases in vision correction consultations by those wanting to be free of specs.
And there is no shame in it! We all want to look our best and for some, glasses compliment their look, or are even part of their style and identity.
Think John Lennon, Johnny Depp, Diane Keaton or Elton John. For these famous faces, their glasses have become iconic.
Yet for others, glasses spoil their style. They’d only wear them inside when alone, or at the very end of the day when eyes are tired. Or at a push on a long-haul flight, forced on by the air-con.
They’d rather wear contact lenses much longer than is recommended than “be seen dead in my specs”.
Any of these sound familiar? Well, it this is you, it is probably time to look into your options…excuse the pun!
Consultant eye surgeon, Mr Robert Morris, from Optegra Eye Hospital Hampshire, says: “A large number of my patients are concerned about the way they look – which is a very natural thing. And for many this means they want to stop wearing glasses.
“Others had relied on contact lenses but get fed up with all the solutions, cleaning, taking them in and out – and want a more permanent solution to keep them spectacle free.
“If contact lenses suit you and you get on with them, they are a great option. But for those who don’t – perhaps because of their lifestyle – or because they put themselves at risk of infection by wearing contacts for too long, there are a number of really sophisticated surgical options now to free you from specs.”
So if you want to get rid of your glasses, what are the options?
Laser eye surgery is one of the most well-known options and has been around for years. It is ideal for people in their 20s, 30s and 40s and a state-of-the-art laser is used to painlessly remove a tiny amount of eye tissue to reshape the cornea and so change the focusing power of the eye.
- LASIK – the most popular and well-known type of laser eye surgery to improve the eye’s focusing power, producing clearer, sharper vision.
- LASEK – generally suitable for people with less serious eye focusing problems, thin corneas, or dry eyes.
But technologies have advanced dramatically so they are now these great options too:
- SMILE – this is the most minimally-invasive laser eye surgery and can correct high levels of short-sightedness. It is ideal for those wanting a speedy recovery.
- Presbyond – for many of us, we have reached ‘that age’ where we are having to push our reading materials further away from our eyes – you know who you are! – which means we have presbyopia – the age-related need to use reading glasses. This latest treatment is a type of laser eye surgery which blends vision for distance and near across the dominant and non-dominant eye, reducing of eliminating the need for glasses
If your eyes are not suitable for laser – do not despair! There are even more options for you:
- Lens Exchange or Lens Replacement Surgery – this is similar to cataract surgery where the natural lens of the eye is replaced with a synthetic one – this is tailored specifically to your needs to you can be free of glasses after a 20 minute procedure! At Optegra, 91% of lens exchange patients achieve 20/20 vision without glasses, and 97% can read newspaper-size print afterwards.
- Implantable contact lenses – a contact lens is placed within your eye, between the natural lens and the iris, or between the iris and cornea – this is ideal if you have a really high prescription and laser eye surgery is not suitable.
So, if you are specs-phobic, whatever your reason – from how you look, to practical frustrations – book a consultation for a free review and recommendation – you will wish you did it years ago!
