Five Reasons to Get LASIK Before Turning 30

People in their 20s are often beginning their careers and enjoying job advancements. It’s also a popular time to get married and start a family. The Food and Drug Administration has approved LASIK for anyone 18 and over. While there is no “ideal” age to have laser vision correction, this article reveals five reasons why potential patients in their 20s may want to consider the procedure.

1. Take Advantage of Prescription Stability A patient must meet several qualifications in order to be a candidate for LASIK. One of the most important of those qualifications is a stable eyeglass prescription. By their early 20s, most people’s prescriptions have stabilized. Following LASIK, the American Academy of Ophthalmology reports that over 90 percent of people achieve between 20/20 and 20/40 vision without glasses or contact lenses.

2. Enjoy Hassle Free Living Experiencing vision problems during a patient’s 20s (or earlier) means a lifetime of hassle due to glasses and contacts. LASIK results allow patients to enjoy years of seeing and experiencing the world with reduced dependence on contacts or glasses. LASIK also decreases annoyances when traveling for work or pleasure. It also provides a great opportunity for those in their 20s to work without glasses in careers that require more physical activity, including military positions, police officers, firefighters and construction workers.

3. Stay Active Following a successful LASIK surgery, patients can take full advantage of the years ahead and resume an active lifestyle without the need for corrective lenses. They can play on their work softball team without fear of their glasses falling off while trying to catch a fly ball, or they can spend a night out with friends without fear of having to search for a lost contact. Additionally, recreation and sporting activities, such as biking, skiing, swimming and scuba diving, no longer have to be limited by the need for special glasses or contacts.

4. Take Advantage of Youth By having LASIK during their 20s, patients have the maximum amount of time to enjoy a glasses-free lifestyle. As part of the natural process of aging, a person’s eyes begin to change around the age of 40 to 45, and many people find that they need reading glasses. People have more difficulty focusing up close due to presbyopia, which is caused by a gradual thickening and loss of flexibility of the natural lens inside the eye.

5. Maximize Your Investment For patients in their 20s, LASIK can be a cost-effective investment. Not only are savings realized from the money currently being spent on contacts and glasses, but future expenses are also eliminated once LASIK corrects the vision problem. Years of costs for new frames, new lenses, replacement lenses and cleaning supplies mean LASIK is less expensive over time than wearing contacts or glasses. The average price for laser-based vision correction in 2017 was $2,135 per eye.

The LasikPlus research found that LASIK saves a typical patient between the ages of 20 and 29 approximately $24,640. The iLasik savings calculator shows the savings patients may be able to realize from scheduling their laser vision correction sooner rather than later.

Each person’s eyes are different, and LASIK results vary. To see if you are a candidate for the procedure, consult with an experienced ophthalmologist.