Can long bangs harm your vision?

Source: Best Health Magazine, November 2012; Photo by Kathleen Finlay

When I was a kid, my mother would pin my bangs up so they were out of my eyes, but for the past 10 years or so, I’ve been wearing them long. It’s a style that’s ‘in”in my eyes, that is. But I don’t mind the occasional head flip or blow-away (as you can see in the photo of me above) to keep my vision clear. That is, I didn’t until I read somewhere that it could be bad for my eyesight.

Seriously? Um, no, as it turns out. I checked with Dr. Lil Linton, president of the Canadian Association of Optometrists. ‘That would be true only if you were a young child and your hair was completely and constantly blocking your vision.’

Plus, one eye would have to be completely covered and receiving no stimulation day and night. In that case, it could lead to ‘lazy eye,’ or amblyopia. This is a lack of visual acuity or development; children under three are most vulnerable because they are at the stage when the brain is still developing.

‘Keep in mind that most people’s hair is not that long at the age when they’re most vulnerable,’ says Linton. While a lazy eye can be corrected up to the age of 10, it’s not likely to develop after age six, and certainly not because of a hairstyle.

Now that I know my eyesight isn’t going to be affected by my bangs, any motivation I may have had to cut them is gone. I’ll certainly play around with the style, but will be keeping them long. Sorry, Mom!