You've got to hide your myopia away: John Lennon's contact lenses

Abstract

AbstractJohn Lennon has an enduring, instantly recognisable, iconic, spectacle look. However, prior to 1966, he was rarely seen wearing glasses in public. From ages 7 to 26, he effectively hid his myopia away, including a period of unsuccessful contact lens wear during Beatlemania. This narrative review examines John's experience with contact lenses from 1963 to 1966 when he wore corneal rigid lenses made from polymethylmethacrylate, which regularly fell out. This frequent lens ejection was most likely due to the interaction between his upper eyelid and a spherical back surface rigid lens fitted to his right eye, which had a moderate degree of with‐the‐rule corneal astigmatism. John's recollection that his contact lenses stayed in place while ‘stoned’ supports this hypothesis, as a cannabis‐induced upper eyelid ptosis would reduce the likelihood of lens ejection.