Am I a good candidate for LASIK?

When you know you want to get LASIK, there are a million questions swimming in your head. What’s the process? Who do I talk to to get the ball rolling? What movies are opening this Friday that I can watch with my new, incredibly cool LASIK vision?

(You’re getting ahead of yourself. But if you’d like to know more about what the LASIK recovery process is like, click here.)

One question people don’t often think of is “When should I get LASIK?” As in, is now the right time? Well, if you want to know, we’ve got a few additional questions you can ask yourself… 

Am I a good candidate for LASIK?

We don’t know. But the truth is that the majority of people who meet the age and general health requirements (we’ll get to those in a second, promise) and have a stable vision prescription may qualify as a good candidate. 

So even if an eye doctor told you you’re not a good candidate in the past, you should consider a second opinion from a qualified ophthalmologist. You can find one near you here, and many do LASIK consultations for free.

Also, the “I can’t because I have astigmatism” misconception is wrong. Folks with astigmatism may qualify too.

The point is to let you know that just because you assume you aren’t a candidate or have been told “no” in the past based on older technology doesn’t mean you’re actually not a good candidate. And you won’t know until you see a LASIK expert to tell you.

Am I ready for LASIK?

Depending on the technology the doctor uses, you need to be at least 18 or 21 years of age to qualify.

You also need to have a stable vision prescription to be a good LASIK candidate. A qualified doctor can track your vision and let you know if your eyes have stabilized.  So again, one “no” doesn’t mean you should never ask again.

Then who shouldn’t get LASIK?

There are certain vision prescriptions LASIK simply doesn’t address, which your doctor will be able to advise you on during your consultation. There are also certain eye and medical conditions that prevent folks from getting LASIK. Get more important safety information on this subject here.

So, again, am I a good candidate for LASIK?

Well, armed with above, you now know the right things to talk about with a qualified LASIK doctor. So we think the next step is to talk to one. 

You can find a LASIK doctor near you here, and if you have any other specific questions about LASIK, you can ask us here.