With 55 years’ experience in the optical industry, LYN SIMEON shares her personal journey through the evolving world of contact lenses.
After more than five decades in the optical industry, I still smile when I think about how much has changed, and how much I’ve loved being part of it. I began my optical career in 1970, not knowing that it would lead me through OPSM, private practice, casual work with Specsavers, and eventually to my current role as a manager with Teachers Health Fund.
Each step has shaped me, challenged me and broadened my understanding of eyecare in ways I never expected – especially these last 14 years, where my role as manager of eyecare, dental and membership services has expanded my knowledge far beyond optics alone.
But if there’s one thread running through my career, it’s contact lenses. Their evolution has mirrored the evolution of our industry, and I’ve been fortunate to witness it all from the front row.
When I entered optics, most people wore hard contact lenses. Soft lenses existed, but the early versions were still finding their place. It’s amusing now to think back to Leonardo da Vinci imagining, in 1508, that vision could be corrected by placing water over the eye. Then in 1887, F.A. Müller created the first real contact lens – out of glass, heavy and uncomfortable. Thankfully, by the 1930s we had hard plastic lenses, and by the 1960s soft lenses were introduced. By the time I started working in the 1970s, soft lenses were being mass-produced and rapidly becoming popular.
With them came a cleaning and care regime that would make today’s contact lens wearers’ eyes widen. Cleaning and storing lenses was an involved, sometimes stressful process. Patients had to wash lenses by hand using detailed, multi-step instructions. I remember selling sterilising machines early in my career – bulky, humming boxes that promised to make the job easier. Then there were the solutions: cleaners, conditioners, soaking liquids, enzyme tablets. If a patient skipped a step or misunderstood a label, you could almost guarantee discomfort later.
Comparing that era to now is like comparing a typewriter to a smartphone.
Disposable lenses have changed everything. Their design has not only improved convenience but also reduced the risk of infection and irritation. Patients who were once anxious about cleaning routines suddenly had a lens option that fit seamlessly into their lives.
And the choice available today is remarkable. Daily disposables, extended wear lenses, toric lenses for astigmatism, and lenses designed for keratoconus have opened the door for more people to wear contacts comfortably. Multifocals have improved the quality of life for patients requiring both distance and near correction, while coloured lenses have given people a fun, cosmetic option to express themselves.
Then there’s the future, summed up in two words: smart lenses. The idea that lenses may one day monitor health indicators like blood sugar or deliver medication directly to the eye would have sounded like science fiction when I started working in eyecare. Now, it’s within reach.
I’ve always enjoyed watching how contact lenses shape people’s confidence and daily life. For athletes, they offer freedom – no glasses slipping down the nose or fogging up mid-game. For others, contact lenses allow a natural look where their face is free of frames. I’ve seen patients walk out taller, happier, relieved to find vision that feels easy and natural.
But progress brings new challenges, too. Coloured lenses sold online are cause for concern. Without proper fitting or professional guidance, people risk infections or complications that could have been avoided. A practitioner doesn’t just fit the lens; they teach, support and monitor eye health. Education and regular check-ups remain essential, no matter how modern the lenses become.
Looking back, I feel proud of the part I’ve played. From counselling nervous first-time wearers to staying across the latest technologies, the work has always felt meaningful. Contact lenses are more than just medical devices. They offer freedom, practicality and confidence, and they continue to evolve with every generation.
Looking ahead, I believe younger people will see contact lenses not only as vision aids but as smart tools that blend health, lifestyle and technology. And if the past 55 years have taught me anything, it’s that this journey is far from over.
About the author: Lyn Simeon worked with OPSM for 35 years, becoming a manager and lens specialist for the west region. She then managed a private practice for seven years while also undertaking casual work with Specsavers, before moving to Teachers Health Fund, where she has spent the past 14 years as manager of eyecare, dental and membership services.
