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Gen Z contact lens trends are reshaping how eye care professionals think about prescribing, communication, and practice branding. In a live episode of The 2020 Podcast recorded at Vision Expo West, Dr. Harbir Sian sat down with Contact Lens Institute Visionaries Jennifer Seymour, Dr. Jade Coats, and Andrew Bruce to unpack new research on Gen Z eye care preferences and contact lens adoption across generations.
Topics Covered
The Gen Z Contact Lens Gap
The Contact Lens Institute’s latest See Tomorrow research compared vision-corrected Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X in the U.S. and Canada. One key finding: an 8% gap in contact lens wear between Gen Z and Millennials—with Gen X significantly lower still.
The panel pointed to timing as a major factor. Many current Gen Z patients were in the prime “first fit” age (10–13) during COVID. At that time, fewer in-office trainings were happening, parents were wary of eye touching, and contact lenses simply weren’t prioritized. That disruption likely dampened early adoption and created lingering hesitancy.
Gen X tells a different story. Many tried lenses decades ago—before today’s daily disposables and modern multifocals—and walked away. Without proactive re-education, they assume nothing has changed.
Taken together, the data suggests a large, under-tapped opportunity:
- Gen Z patients who never started contact lens wear
- Gen X patients who do not know how dramatically technology has improved
Both groups are reachable if the team is intentional.
Dual Wear and Fashion: Redefining Success
A subtle but important theme was how Gen Z defines success with contact lenses. Earlier generations were often treated as either “contact lens wearers” or “glasses wearers.” Gen Z does not think that way.
They are comfortable with dual wear:
- Glasses as a fashion and identity statement
- Contact lenses for specific situations—sports, concerts, travel, content creation
Jennifer Seymour highlighted that younger patients may not want full-time wear, and that is acceptable. A teen who uses lenses only for volleyball or amusement parks is still a successful fit and still contributing to practice growth.
For teams, this means:
- Presenting lenses as an and, not an or
- Normalizing part-time wear in the exam lane and optical
- Linking lenses to activities that matter most to that patient
When the conversation starts with lifestyle and individuality, contact lens adoption becomes a natural extension of how Gen Z already lives.
Patients Won’t Ask for What They Don’t Know
All three panelists emphasized a simple truth: patients rarely ask for contact lenses on their own. Many assume they are not candidates, or that previous problems disqualify them.
Andrew Bruce stressed the pivotal role of opticians and staff. They often hear the real pain points—foggy glasses at the gym, slipping frames, fear of losing glasses on rides.
Often the answer is, “I didn’t know I could.”
To close the communication gap:
- Add a standard “Have you ever considered contact lenses?” prompt to every exam
- Train technicians and opticians to connect lifestyle complaints to lens solutions
- Revisit lenses with Gen X patients who tried them in the “old technology” era
If the team does not raise the option, the eight-point Gen Z gap will persist by default.
