How old were you when you first got glasses or contacts?

I was about 2. I also had surgery to correct strabismus (lazy eye) around that time. I had to wear a patch.

Early thirties. I'd had perfect vision until then. I blame having to stare into a big computer monitor 40 hours a week.

I had terrible vision as a child. Got glasses at around 11 I think.

Around 15 after much bitching and moaning on my part my Mom took me to Montgomery Wards to get contacts.

I will always admire my Mom’s patience as it took me hours to be able to put in and take out a contact. This was in the early 90’s when contacts were still “hard” and it was kind of a process every night to disinfect them.

At some point, I moved to extended wear disposables, which I abused heavily (I would wear - and sleep - in them for a few weeks at a time). I never had any problems.

I eventually moved to daily contacts, as even though I had not had any problems in the past with the extended wear, I was probably just lucky.

I can’t imagine wearing glasses full time. I’d sooner get lasik.

Mid 40s - presbyopia. Still don't have distance vision problems.

[quote] This was in the early 90’s when contacts were still “hard”

Soft contacts were available in the late 70s. I started wearing them in 1980.

That’s interesting R5. I didn’t know that.

I wonder why I was steered to hard contacts.

Cost maybe?

My fifth-grade teacher (in 1971) got hard contacts when they were brand-new. She had to phase them in by wearing for one hour a day, then two hours, and so forth.

Her eyes were always bright red, with big red circles on the surrounding skin. Such glamour!

I will say as well, the day I got my glasses (actually put them on my face), is a very happy memory for my Mom.

She said my face lit up lit up like a Christmas tree. Seeing the world “clear’ for the first time. Insurance didn’t cover it at the time, and it wasn’t cheap, but she said I was so happy.

Hard contacts were available in 1939.

Age 10 in grade 5. They were only for distance - being seated at the back of the class kind of thing. I eventually switched to contacts when I had to wear them regularly (vanity). I got tired of the effort with contacts and went back to glasses after many years. I’m in my 50s now and have separate reading glasses and everyday glasses. My visit to the optometrist this spring revealed I’m getting cataracts. I got a new prescription at that time and could see images much sharper with my new glasses. However, I’m finding things have regressed in that short time. I’m not sure why. I don’t know if it’s the cataracts which he’d said were in the early stages.

7th grade. Typical nerd frames: brown on top, clear on the bottom. And then my mother took me out to buy records.

Like someone above, I had soft contacts in 1980. Hated them. I lost one in someone else's bed that NYE, and went back to glasses immediately. I love wearing glasses.

I was a tiny little four year old in Kindergarten when I was first diagnosed with strabismus. My Mom took me to the eye doctor in downtown Cincinnati, and we had lunch at the Mills Restaurant, where I was told I could choose surgery or corrective lenses. I, of course, chose corrective lenses, This would have been around 1965, and I still have my first pair of eyeglasses somewhere. I used to fall asleep wearing them, and they even changed the shape of my nose over time.

I've always worn glasses and have never been interested in contacts. I remember my stepsister back in the 70s cleaning and soaking her hard contacts and getting them in and out of her eyes. Glasses just seem so much easier. And you can change your look up every couple of years (or daily, I guess, if you have multiple sets of frames). I have two pair of frames with progressive lenses and one set of reading glasses.

Glasses for the last 30 years. I’m 38 now.

39 don’t have them yet

Age 12 or 13, I got glasses for distance. I’ve never worn contacts. Other than for driving or watching something (movies, art shows, etc) I don’t like to wear them, for some reason I prefer the softer look of the world without them on.