Is it safe to wear circle lenses after SMILE LASIK?

Ms. Hong, a woman in her 30s who works for a game company, underwent SMILE LASIK two months before her wedding. After recovering well and completing her wedding safely, she recently returned to the clinic where she had her surgery. During her routine checkup, she asked whether it would be okay to wear circle lenses with no prescription.

Like Ms. Hong, many people who used to wear glasses before undergoing vision correction surgery also wore contact lenses — either colored circle lenses or clear ones. While some wear them for cosmetic reasons, others in professions where appearance and activity are important find that lenses help create a more favorable image. However, contact lenses cannot completely eliminate discomfort. Wearing them for long periods can cause dryness and irritation, and during the summer swimming season, they increase susceptibility to bacterial infections.

For these reasons, many people with poor eyesight ultimately choose vision correction surgery. There are several surgical options available, but in recent years, SMILE LASIK has gained particular popularity.

SMILE LASIK is known to combine the advantages of LASIK and LASEK while minimizing their drawbacks. During the procedure, a femtosecond laser is used to create a small lenticule within the cornea, which is then removed through a 2 mm micro-incision. Compared to conventional surgeries, the incision size is reduced by over 80%, allowing for faster recovery. Additionally, because there is minimal nerve damage, the risk of side effects such as dry eyes is greatly reduced. The cornea also remains structurally strong, meaning that daily activities such as exercise or work can usually be resumed soon after surgery.

So, is it safe to wear non-prescription circle lenses after SMILE LASIK? Since colored circle lenses tend to have lower oxygen permeability, they can increase the risk of inflammation and lead to various eye diseases. Therefore, caution is advised.

Before handling lenses, hands should be washed thoroughly, and lenses should be properly cleaned and disinfected before and after use. Choosing high oxygen-permeable daily disposable lenses is recommended to reduce the risk of bacterial infection. Applying artificial tears frequently during wear can help prevent dry eyes, and if pain or a foreign body sensation occurs, the lenses should be removed immediately.

Even after vision has improved through SMILE LASIK, many patients still inquire about wearing non-prescription circle lenses for cosmetic satisfaction—such as changing eye color or emphasizing eye size. If an ophthalmologist confirms about one month after surgery that there are no abnormal findings, it is generally acceptable to wear circle lenses for no more than five hours a day. However, this should only be done after consulting with the operating surgeon, rather than assuming it is safe simply because a month has passed since surgery.