12/21/2025
I once worked with a progressive lens wearer who had struggled with multiple pairs in the past.
They were upfront about having issues — which is always helpful. What made things more challenging was that the markings on their previous lenses weren’t visible, and they didn’t want me to contact the other optical to verify the lens design.
Without that information, matching them to a design that would avoid the same issues becomes much harder.
Even when the prescription is identical, progressive lens designs are not.
They differ in:
how quickly the power changes
how wide the reading and intermediate areas are
how much peripheral distortion is present
Those differences matter — especially for someone who’s had trouble adapting before.
I also made a point to reassure them that there was nothing “wrong” with them. People sometimes worry they’re being difficult or complicated — and that simply isn’t true.
I often explain it like taste buds.
Two people can eat the same meal — one loves it, the other doesn’t. One finds it too spicy, the other not spicy enough. Neither is wrong.
Vision works the same way.
All humans are unique.
All eyes are unique.
And visual systems, eye movements, habits, and demands all differ — which is why there are so many lens brands and designs in the first place.
That’s where opticians come in.
We’re matchmakers.
And knowing someone’s preferences — their lens dating history — helps us make better matches.
