What’s the Best Age for LASIK?

If you Google this question, Google will simply say that the perfect candidate for LASIK is someone between the ages of 20 and 40. One can even opt for LASIK at the age of 18, but most doctors will encourage you to wait until their mid-20’s. Why? Generally, a good candidate is someone who has a stable prescription for at least two years. Just as your body grows and matures through adolescence, so do your eyes. Which is why it’s important to wait until your prescription is stable for at least two years. For many individuals, your prescription may fluctuate until your late 20’s. There are other factors to consider when choosing LASIK. but this blog will focus on age. Visit our main blog page to learn more about LASIK.

How old is too old?

Usually, 40 and older may be too late for LASIK. A vision problem that is commonly experienced by patients 40 and older is presbyopia. Presbyopia is commonly referred to as reading vision and age-related farsightedness. In simple terms, presbyopia is another word for reading glasses. So the doctor should be very honest with you about LASIK after 40. That if you do complete LASIK after 40, the chances that you may be glasses-free is pretty slim.

Why Can’t LASIK correct Presbyopia?

What is Presbyopia? Presbyopia is caused by aging. As we age, the lens in our eyes will start to naturally thicken and harden, the eyes are not able to focus light directly onto the retina. The muscle fibers around the lens will lose elasticity, making it harder to focus on objects up close.

But just because LASIK can’t correct presbyopia doesn’t mean you can’t get LASIK.

Just because you’re over 40…

Doesn’t mean you’re not a candidate for LASIK. It’s work it to see if you’re candidate, even if you’re not between the ages of 18 to 40. The LASIK Consultation is free, so there’s no harm to schedule an appointment with Dr. Lin. There are a lot of factors that matter more than a specific number.

Your factors for LASIK may be hobby related. For example, if your a 42 year old who wants to be contact lens free while completing your triathlons, you may be a great candidate. Or, if someone who needs to be contact lens free for your job, like an agent for the Secret Service then you may be a great candidate. Or your reason can be that contact irritates your eye. For me, I recently switched to dailies because my eyes could no longer tolerate bi-weekly contacts. There may be a day where my eyes can no longer tolerate dailies!

Dr. Danny Lin is one of the best LASIK surgeons in the Bay Area. He is not one to rush about LASIK surgery. If you’re not a good candidate, he’s honest and will explain why. He’s patient and explains all the details thoroughly whether or not you’re a candidate.

Call us today to schedule a LASIK Consultation or request an appointment directly on our website.