# Worlds oldest contact lenses **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 26, 2013, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-oldest-contact-lenses/661950 "2013-06-26T10:49:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-oldest-contact-lenses/661950/1 "2013-06-26T10:49:50Z")
So I think this pretty mundane. But I believe a friend of mine holds the world record for oldest continuous use of a single pair of contact lenses. He’s used the same pair since 1969. Where’s them everyday. Anyone know a way to see if he really holds the record? ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-oldest-contact-lenses/661950/2 "2013-06-26T10:57:18Z")
Try Guiness World Records. Their **contact** details are on their web site. Ha ha, see what I did there? Oh shut up. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-oldest-contact-lenses/661950/3 "2013-06-26T11:53:39Z")
That’s a record I’m happy to lose - I can’t believe they’ve not degraded to the point of dangerousness. Or ‘yknow, his prescription might have changed. Oh, and \*\*RobDog \*\*- I saw nothin’. But that could be my old lenses… ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-oldest-contact-lenses/661950/4 "2013-06-27T05:05:23Z")
> [@Cinnamon\_Imp](#): > > That’s a record I’m happy to lose - I can’t believe they’ve not degraded to the point of dangerousness. > > Or ‘yknow, his prescription might have changed. > Oh, and \*\*RobDog \*\*- I saw nothin’. But that could be my old lenses… Not too sure that would happen, my first pair were hard lenses and if I remember some form of actual glass. And many people have prescriptions that are stable for decades - my dad had the same pair of distance glasses for the last 40 years of his life, he just kept changing the reading glasses, which is why he never had bifocals. I know my distance prescription didn’t significantly change from about 1982 until 2005, though as a diabetic I still kept up with my annual examinations. The only reason I changed glasses in 95 was the frames broke beyond repair and I decided to change lens shape from aviator to [round submariner glasses](http://www.orvis.com/orvis_assets/prodimg/4P6TL1XB.jpg) and get them made to change to sunglasses automatically. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-oldest-contact-lenses/661950/5 "2013-06-27T08:39:04Z")
Presumably they’re hard, because soft lenses would get nasty/torn, and are newer I believe. He’s doing himself a big health disservice, honestly. Newer\* lenses like RGPs let more oxygen get to the eye, and lessen chance of long-term damage. I’ll bet the prescription changed (presbyopia for certain), but is he seeing an optometrist? Especially after a certain age, it should be done even for 20/20 to check for glaucoma and such. \*“New” as in made a decade after the OP’s friend started. Oh, and just because someone can see fine does not mean that their prescription hasn’t gotten worse. The change would just be too subtle for them to notice, which is why many kids don’t get glasses and don’t realize they aren’t supposed to squint. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2013, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-oldest-contact-lenses/661950/6 "2013-06-27T13:34:12Z")
Is his contact lens made of polished wood, with brass filigree? Maybe ordered from the Sear & Roebuck catalog along with Smeckler’s Powder and a curative galvanic belt? ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-oldest-contact-lenses/661950/7 "2013-06-28T04:11:49Z")
Don’t make fun! ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-oldest-contact-lenses/661950/8 "2013-06-28T04:46:41Z")
How is that possible? I don’t think it’s mundane - I think it’s amazing. It would be the only story I ever told about that guy. “Hey have you met my friend bob, he’s had the same pair of contacts since we landed on the moon!” To not have lost or damaged them seems almost beyond belief. Does he drive an old Volvo, shop at Aldi, listen to Public Radio? Curious as to what else someone does that wears the same lenses for longer than I’ve been alive. After a year or so mine were pretty shot. I went to daily wear disposable - and loved them. Now I have got LASIK and am dreading needing reading glasses at some point. I can’t imagine there are many people vying for taking his place. I’d ask an eye doctor. I’m sure they’d be fascinated. And like others have said - he should see an eye doctor for the other stuff anyway - and to get this century’s technology which is better for the eye. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-oldest-contact-lenses/661950/9 "2013-06-28T14:29:16Z")
> [@DataX](#): > > To not have lost or damaged them seems almost beyond belief. That’s a good point I hadn’t thought of. I’ve been wearing hard lenses for maybe 4 years or so now, and I’ve lost two in that vastly shorter time period. Expensive bastards they are, too. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-oldest-contact-lenses/661950/10 "2013-06-28T15:06:44Z")
I wore contacts over 20 years before returning to glasses. I can’t believe how many I lost, broke, dropped onto the disco floor, washed down the drain, oh, and lost. AND THEN your prescription changes. Same pair since Jimi Hendrix was alive? Nah… ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-oldest-contact-lenses/661950/11 "2013-06-28T16:40:54Z")
Wow. I had a pair for six years once, and thought that was really amazing. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-oldest-contact-lenses/661950/12 "2013-06-28T16:54:27Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > So I think this pretty mundane. > > But I believe a friend of mine holds the world record for oldest continuous use of a single pair of contact lenses. > He’s used the same pair since 1969. Where’s them everyday. Does that mean he loses them every day and says, “Where are they?” before he finds them and puts them in? ---
**Author:** ![runyon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9a28c/32.png) [@runyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runyon)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-oldest-contact-lenses/661950/13 "2014-03-31T20:26:32Z")
For some time I have been curious if I hold a ‘dubious’ record. I started wearing ‘hard contact lenses’ in September 1968. I have worn the same pair every day since then including today (March 31, 2014). I have had my eyes checked in the last 2-3 years. I do now use magnifying ‘cheaters’ (1.5) for ease of reading, but distance sight is still excellent. I have concluded that I will retire them at 50 years (if I make it that far). Just one more bit of unnecessary information.