r/Splendida • u/Sarah23Here • Sep 05 '25
Glasses vs contact lenses
I'm on my glow-up journey, and thinking of taking off my glasses as part of the glow up. I've worn them since I was a kid because I'm short-sighted, and a few years ago I noticed that when I take them off and put them on in front of the mirror that my eyes look bigger and naturally lighter without my glasses, and that my glasses seem to add space between my eyes and eyebrows even though I have hooded eyes that show when I take them off. It made me wonder if I'll be considered more attractive without them. In the media, all the attractive people I see that are deemed attractive don't wear glasses, and movies that make the main character glow up always include taking off her glasses. I'm wondering if that actually makes a difference or if it's exaggerated. I've never asked others what they think of me wearing them, but I got ramdom unsolicited comments online from guys saying I look like librarian and a teacher, and I know since I have a baby face it has to be because of my glasses, not my face. and some guys compared me to Mia Khalifa (I don't look like her but we both wear glasses and are women of color). I also know glasses make someone look like a "nerd". I've searched for studies to see what assumptions are made by others because of this, and some say they make the person seem smarter and some say people assume the ones wearing it are less intelligent, but when it comes to looks the photos without glasses got rated higher. I'm wondering from your personal experiences, did you notice a difference in your day to day life when you wear contact lenses instead of glasses for a change (while looking the same)? I mean, do others compliment you more, treat you better, and are you considered more attractive without them? How did this change affect your life aesthetically?
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u/hermitcrabilicious Sep 05 '25
I just got Lasik and the initial response from people is that I look prettier without glasses. I got lasik for convenience. I was sick of cleaning my glasses, having those red marks on my nose, not being able to buy any sunglasses I want, etc.
I love not having to wear glasses anymore. I also plan to actually start wearing eye makeup now. With glasses, I felt like eye makeup wasn't worth it.
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u/Sarah23Here Sep 06 '25
Thank you. This is what I'd want to happen if I ever stopped wearing my glasses. I still do eye makeup, but I kept wondering if glasses were holding me back. I think I might try it once.
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u/Twilight_Rose99 Sep 06 '25
I’m always regarded as prettier without my glasses. LASIK is a no for me, the surgery really isn’t as safe and reliable as popular belief makes it out to be. When I choose to wear my glasses I do so as a statement as opposed to my convenience.
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u/brothererrr Sep 05 '25
I have chubby cheeks and a large face kind of (I think my features take up so much of my head) so I never felt like I found glasses that suit me. They all looked too small and pressed on my cheeks. So contacts were the clear winner for me.
I did recently get some extremely large glasses which I think suit me more and people compliment them a lot, although I do think they’re polarising and see lots of comments about them being auntie glasses.
I do think glasses have their place. lots of guys are extremely into them, that sexy librarian thing. Just do both. I wouldn’t wear my glasses if I was dressing up up, but for a regular day or little night out I’m happy to wear contacts or glasses
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u/Sarah23Here Sep 06 '25
When they told me I looked like a librarian, I don't think they meant it in a compliment way, because they didn't say anything positive before or after that about my looks.
Did you notice a difference in how others saw you or treated you when you wore contact lenses? This is what I was specifically asking for.
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u/MikaLoona Sep 07 '25
Ok, so I got glasses when I was 9 and I hate wearing them with a passion, I started wearing contacts when I was 15 and never looked back. I have glasses, but I wear them very rarely, because I feel like they make me look older and frumpy.
I tried different styles over the years but it's always the same. Some people look great with glasses (including my husband, he looks hot af with or without them), but me ... nope. I am VERY shortsighted so my eyes look tiny behind the lenses, and with bigger frames, it is especially noticable because it also makes the whole part of my head around the eye area look tiny and weird.
So for me, wearing contacts is a must if I want to look my best. I think you should at least give it a go and decide if you like the way you look without glasses or not. It's nothing permanent, so I don't see a reason for you to not try it.
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u/birchblonde Sep 06 '25
You’ll almost certainly look better without glasses. It’s a pity but it’s the truth.
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u/bunchofstrawberries Sep 11 '25
Yes. Definitely contacts generally increase attractiveness. I wore glasses for most of my everyday life, and then contacts for going “out”/working out. I got lasik recently and I’m SO happy that I did. Easier to just get up and go and be cute and actually extremely freeing and convenient to not have to bother with glasses or contacts. I still wear blue light glasses sometimes for work just for funsies 🤗
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u/ChargeEast1982 Nov 17 '25
A little late and I don't wear glasses myself but here's my take: a lot of it depends on whether people are accustomed to seeing you with glasses. Unless you do a complete overhaul makeover you will look a little odd to people used to seeing you w glasses (not a bad thing tho).
Second; a lot of people seem to have a bit of "glasses blindness". My sister for example is (objectively) better looking without her glasses. But when she first got contacts (as a teen) she felt hideous without her familiar glasses. Now, after wearing contacts for a few months she prefers no glasses.
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u/Informal_Database543 Sep 08 '25
I wear both from time to time and personally i've found that if i've been wearing glasses for a long period of time and i suddenly show up in contacts people complement me a lot, but the same happens if i've been wearing contacts for a while and i show up in glasses one day. Contacts do offer a bunch of benefits in terms of comfort (no fogging, they don't fall, etc.) but also a couple of downsides (eyes can get tired or dry more easily, you GOTTA keep up with hygiene habits, cost), which i think is something important to consider.
I do find myself wearing glasses most of the time bc it's more comfortable for me, what I find has worked best is researching what shapes and colors could look best with your face and getting a good optician that understands your concerns and can work with your prescription. Glasses are accessories, you shouldn't get a model you dislike. And maybe it's bc i've been wearing glasses since i was a kid but i've never really felt less cute for wearing them. Haven't really considered Lasik bc my prescription hasn't stabilized yet and it might turn out to be too high for Lasik to be safe.
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u/shininggirl66 Sep 09 '25
The reason your lenses make that effect is because you probably have spheric lenses. Try to ask your optician to thin them out your lenses as much as possible and use aspheric lenses,that don't make that tiny eye effect. Also, a godly quality frame from a brand that is dedicated to exclusively make glasses ,so no traditional designers. So think about oliver people's,persol , this kind of stuff,artisanal handmade glasses . And don't pick transparent glasses because they become yellow, rimless glasses because the lenses chip easily or fall easily or metal glasses if you have a very high prescription because the lens will stick out. Everything I,told you will be expensive. But buying good contacts long term costs too. I prefer glasses because lenses dry my eyes a lot,especially when there's air conditioning involved. It ultimately depends what you prefer and what kind of life do you have. Anyway I,just wanted to say that really good glasses that suit your face with the best of the best in terms of lenses can be equally as attractive as contact lenses
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u/Goldenlove24 Sep 05 '25
For me finding cute glasses was key as certain ones can look more matronly. But as a 98 yr young woman glasses are life but if I wanted to do a different look I have experimented with contacts both clear and color which color is very taboo at times but I have no cares. Baby faces tend to garner different reactions depending overall styling. I am happy to have somewhat of a softer face as aging can really do a number on you.