Posted by: Eye Health Northwest in LASIK on February 26, 2021
Do you have a teenager that’s tired of wearing glasses or contacts? Do they play a sport and don’t like how protective goggles feel?
When these types of situations come up, you may think about solutions like getting your teenager LASIK. But, can teens even get LASIK?
To even know if your teen is a candidate for LASIK, they need to be evaluated to see if they are a good candidate for the procedure. It is important to understand the qualifications for LASIK. Keep reading for 4 reasons teenagers can’t get LASIK!
1. The FDA Minimum Age Requirement for LASIK is 18
Even if your teen wants LASIK, there are parameters in place with the FDA. To get LASIK, you must be at least 18 years old. If you’re under this age, you cannot get the procedure.
Even if your teen is 18 years old, they may still not be the perfect age for getting LASIK. Most surgeons prefer LASIK patients be in their mid to late twenties.
Why? By this point, your eyes are more stable and less likely to change after having the procedure. In order for a patient to be considered a good candidate for LASIK, they need to have a stable prescription for at least one to two years.
The most common age range for people to get LASIK is between the ages of 20 to 40.
2. Your Teen May Have a Prescription That’s Still Changing
A good candidate for LASIK has had a stable prescription for one to two years. Most teenagers fall into the category of having eyes that are unstable and still developing.
Your eyes must be stable to qualify as a good candidate for LASIK. No matter how much your teen begs, this is not something that they can change.
3. LASIK is a One Time Procedure
LASIK is supposed to be a permanent procedure. That means that you are only supposed to have it performed once.
If you have it while your eyes are still changing, there’s a higher probability that your eyes will change after having the procedure.
When you have LASIK, it reshapes your corneas. You do not want your teen to experience this multiple times.
Also, while LASIK is a very safe procedure, it does still cause trauma to the eyes. Your eyes can only handle so much trauma.
Prevent severe complications or damage to your teen’s eyes by making them wait to get LASIK. It’s worth waiting for!
4. Ever Changing Hormones Have an Effect on the Eyes
Another factor that you and your eye doctor need to consider when thinking about getting LASIK is hormonal changes. Hormonal changes in teens and pregnant women make them bad candidates for the procedure. When a teen hits puberty, their hormone balances change.
Hormone changes can impact your vision. Since LASIK is a permanent procedure, you should not get LASIK if you know your hormones are going to change.
It is important for your eye health to avoid having your corneas reshaped several times due to LASIK.
Based on these four reasons, your teenager should not have LASIK. Nobody likes wearing glasses or contacts, but waiting until the appropriate time to have LASIK is a much better idea. This is the best solution if you want to keep their eyes healthy for years to come.
Does your teen have problems seeing clearly? Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR now to see one of our great eye doctors!
