What is the True Cost of Contact Lens Intolerance on Your Wallet?

There are many causes for contact lens intolerance (the inability to wear contact lenses without pain), including allergens, wearing your contacts for too long, ill-fitting lenses, wearing makeup, and even allergies. But perhaps one of the most annoying symptoms of contact lens intolerance is how much you pay for the contacts and all of the supplies needed to wear them every day.

What Does It Really Cost You to Have Contact Lenses?

Ninety percent of Americans who wear contact lenses use soft disposable lenses. The average yearly cost for bi-weekly disposable lenses is about $220 to $260. For those with astigmatism or wearing daily disposable lenses, it’s even higher at around $480-$720 annually. But wait, don’t forget the contact lens solution and cleaners. That’s an additional $150 to $200 a year. Those supplies will set you back a minimum of about $370 to $920, each year. Oh, wait, there’s more. The annual eye exam, after all your contact lens prescriptions, needs to be renewed each year. If you do not have optical insurance, expect to pay on average $200.

So what do contact lenses really cost? By the time a 21-year-old contact lens wearer reaches 60 years old, they will have spent between $22,230 to $43,680 on a lifetime of contact lenses. This lifetime estimate doesn’t even include the eyeglasses you need to wear at night or any time you experience that nagging contact lens irritation.

Many don’t realize the high true cost of contact lenses because they are paying it over time in small payments once or twice a year, but the costs really start to add up.

More importantly, let’s not forget the health concerns of wearing contact lenses. If you’re not 100% compliant in your lens care, you could cause eye irritation and inflammation, along with contact lens intolerance (CLI), leaving you unable to wear contact lenses at all without severe discomfort. You risk more serious conditions, too, like eye ulceration.

Saving Money While Ending Contact Lens Intolerance

Laser vision correction with SMILE can not only rid you of contact lens intolerance for good but also save you thousands of dollars in lenses. Many begin to realize savings within around five years of buying contact lenses and all the supplies and services to accompany them.

So is SMILE laser vision correction expensive? Initially, it may seem that way, but when you consider the annual expense of lenses most patients are pleasantly surprised to learn that it is very affordable. We recommend you use our online calculator to estimate your savings.

As you discover how convenient having SMILE laser vision correction can be, we can help you plan for how to finance the investment. Most patients finance their treatment allowing them to make small monthly payments as low as $79 per month, that’s under $3 per day -or- less than a cup of coffee. If you don’t have vision insurance, but your employer offers a Health Savings Account or Flexible Spending Account, this is a fantastic way to offset some of your costs. It allows you to use pre-tax dollars to get rid of contact lens irritation! The average savings with a health savings account is approximately 22%.

SMILE laser vision correction is fast; the treatment takes thirty seconds or less. It is safe and promotes faster healing, and it is quickly becoming the new standard in laser vision correction. Learn more and set up a complimentary consultation at Laser Eye Institute today.