Do you remember the last time you saw clearly without glasses or contacts? If not, it is possible for you to regain that sight with laser eye surgery. If this is an option you are considering, there are several precautions to consider. 

Let’s take a look if you’re a good candidate for this surgery:

- You should only have standard vision problems for laser surgery to be successful, such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, or an astigmatism.
- The more severe your standard vision problem is, the more likely surgery will not work.
- You must have stable vision. This means your eyeball has finished changing and your prescription will most likely stop changing.
- You have to be in good overall health. No diseases such as diabetes, healing disorders, or scarring issues. 
- You cannot have had any previous major eye surgery.

Everything checks out and you decide to have the surgery. You have to take several precautions to prevent any injury during the postoperative period. Here is a list to follow:

1) Though you may not want to, you must refrain from taking a shower or washing your hair until the day after the laser eye surgery.
2) Once you do take a shower or wash your hair, you must not let any soap get in your eye. This also includes other chemical products such as hair spray, shaving lotion, acne cleansers, etc.
3) You must wait at least 10 days before having hair treatments performed such as coloring or perms.
4) Don’t allow tap water to get in your eyes for at least a week after surgery.
5) Avoid rubbing your eyes for the first week after the surgery.
6) After the surgery, you will receive a kit which has a pair of eye goggles. Wear these for the first three nights.
7) Don’t go swimming for at least 10 days after the procedure.
8) For at least the first week after the surgery, do not wear any eye makeup.
9) Do not work out or exercise for the first two days.
10) Wear eye protection for at least the first month once you have resumed exercising. This will protect you from dirt and sweat getting into the eyes.
11) Whether you have laser eye surgery or not, your eyes should never be exposed to direct sunlight. But for the first year after the surgery, make sure you are wearing protective sunglasses on bright days.

So if you can follow these precautionary steps after having the laser eye surgery, you will surely be glad you made the decision to have the procedure done. In fact, I can already hear you singing…“I can see clearly now…”