Singapore has one of the highest rates of myopia in the world, with 83% of young adults being myopic. For many of these millennials, LASIK surgery in Singapore seems like an attractive solution to correct their vision.

But while everyone wants perfect eyesight, many are still apprehensive and sceptical about the procedure. It doesn’t help that most materials about LASIK in Singapore online are jargon-filled and seem to be accompanied by an underlying money-making motive.

If you’re thinking of going for the procedure, read on to hear from 3 millennials who have undergone LASIK about what it’s actually like, and how it impacted their lives.

You don’t necessarily get to choose what procedure you want

Lynnette relied heavily on contact lenses when flying

Lynnette used to fly with Singapore Airlines as an air stewardess. While flying, she relied heavily on contact lenses. Contact lenses can get dry at high altitudes, and she expressed that it was worse on long-haul flights.

Her boyfriend’s sister got her vision corrected a few years back and recommended her doctor to Lynnette.

Upon her first consultation, she was instructed not to wear contact lenses a week before undergoing the procedure. While it wasn’t much of a hassle for her to switch to glasses for just a week, she notes that this is important information that not many people know, herself included. 

Though she initially wanted to opt for Epi-LASIK—a non-invasive LASIK surgery—she was recommended the bladeless procedure instead.

“You don’t necessarily get to choose which procedure you want. You’ll need to undergo tests and assessments to get a proper recommendation. The bladeless procedure is most suitable for people who have thick corneas, like me.”

A traditional LASIK surgery involves the manual incision of the cornea using a metal razor blade, whereas for the bladeless procedure, a laser makes the incision instead.

“I’m quite thankful that I listened to the doctor, because Epi-LASIK patients generally spend a longer time recovering and experience difficulty opening their eyes for the first few days post-surgery. I was able to watch TV that same day, when I got home.”

As for what else she wished she knew prior to getting the procedure done, she lamented the cost of non-preservative eye drops. 

“Once you get LASIK done, you can only use non-preservative eye drops, which, not gonna lie, are freaking expensive.”  

Lynnette, business development

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I’m glad I did it, but it was a traumatising experience

Jia Hui post-surgery

As a video talent, Jia Hui used to be fairly reliant on contact lenses. Upon conducting thorough research on the various procedures online, she found a promotion in Singapore offering a $1 LASIK assessment. If given the green light to undergo the procedure, patients would also enjoy a discounted LASIK surgery cost.

Having done extensive and in-depth research online as well as speaking to friends who’d undergone LASIK, she decided to opt for the bladeless procedure, expecting it to be painless and non-traumatic. However, she shares that she experienced “quite a strange afternoon”. 

“I [felt] pressure on my eyes—which, to be honest, was a great discomfort [because] it’s an unnatural sensation. They attached some sort of contraption to my eyelids and I could feel suction from a tube-like apparatus. It wasn’t pleasant, and the suction left a red ring [around my iris] for many days. They were also tugging quite a bit at my eyelids to pry them open. I also didn’t like that at all.”

Source

The procedure itself took approximately 5 minutes, but she experienced difficulty opening her eyes afterwards and severe tearing. 

She was in “immense discomfort” after the surgery, as the anaesthesia wore off quickly. Over the next 5 hours, she felt pain in her eyes and her vision was extremely overexposed. 

However, she admits that it felt amazing waking up with perfect vision the following morning. 

“All in all, [I’m] still glad I did it anyway, but it was traumatic.”

Jia Hui, video talent

The aftercare is quite a chore

Zavier with his surgeon, post-surgery

Zavier shares that he’s always had an irrational fear of LASIK surgeries going morbidly wrong—like in Final Destination 5 where the excimer laser burns a character’s eyes and hands, eventually leading to her death.

His friend had undergone LASIK surgery and told Zavier about the clinic he’d visited. “My friend reassured me that it was completely painless and cost less than $4K. Coming from someone who can’t even tolerate the sight of needles, I trusted him and decided to go for it.”

He was recommended the bladeless procedure and recovered in no time. Immediately after the surgery, he regained perfect vision. However, he acknowledges that the aftercare was quite a chore, and he wished he’d known how intense it would be to better prepare himself before the procedure.

“You can’t get anything near your eyes, so I did face a bit of difficulty washing my face and applying sunblock. You also need to wear [a pair of] goggles to sleep for a month. It’s not comfortable, obviously, having something constricting your head as you sleep.”

Source

“I think many people have the impression that LASIK involves severe dissection of the eyeball. The incision made is extremely superficial and the technology is so advanced that human errors are practically impossible. The machine stops operating once it detects the slightest movement of your eye.

“Now that I’ve got it done, I wouldn’t say that my life has dramatically improved, but I’m definitely able to focus better at work.”

Zavier, marketing

Where can you get LASIK surgery in Singapore?

LASIK in Singapore is offered in both public hospitals and private clinics. You can consult a public hospital’s eye doctors at the Singapore National Eye Centre in Singapore General Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, or National University Hospital about whether the procedure suits you.

Many private ophthalmology clinics in Singapore also offer LASIK consultations.

Before deciding to undergo LASIK in Singapore, get your eyes screened by a certified ophthalmologist (a doctor who is also an eye specialist) practitioner to get your eye health examined first.

Is LASIK covered by Medisave?

LASIK in Singapore is not covered by Medisave in most cases, unless there is a difference of over 300 degrees between your two eyes, or LASIK is done to fix a refractive error after a previous eye surgery. These are considered on a case-by-case basis and might only be partially covered by Medisave. Enquire with your clinic for details.

Millennials Share Their Experience Getting LASIK In Singapore

While it’s evident that LASIK will bring you lots of convenience, a huge commitment is needed to sustain or prolong your corrected vision. 

And as Lynnette and Zavier mentioned, it is helpful to learn about the LASIK experiences of friends or loved ones who’ve undergone the procedure beforehand, as such first-hand accounts might be just as valuable in helping you make your decision.

This article was first published on 3 December 2019 and last updated on 21 November 2023. 

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The post LASIK In Singapore: 3 Millennials Share Their Experiences & What They Wished They Knew Before Undergoing LASIK appeared first on ZULA.sg.

From viral dances, life hacks and even makeup tutorials, TikTok has taken the world by storm since we’ve been stuck at home during the pandemic. While most of Gen Z might have jumped onto the app almost immediately, millennials have had their reservations about the social media platform. We spoke to 8 millennials to find out why they hated TikTok initially, but have now embraced the trend to become absolute pros at using it.

1. “There’s a lot of good information about news, current affairs and social issues”

“From my guess, it’s mostly Gen Zs on TikTok. However, I do see some people my age or older using, though a lot are hesitant to get on it. I didn’t like TikTok at first because from the snippets I saw, it looked just like pretty people showing [off] their pretty privilege (a.k.a being hot with no context). Why would I want to watch that if it didn’t add value to my life? Also, a lot of the things shared were cringey and I could not imagine watching content like that.

I downloaded TikTok because I had a client who was working with TikTok and had to film a dance video. After that, I stopped using the app for a month, but I went back in and realised people saw my video even though I don’t follow anyone. Then, I realised how the algorithm worked and how I could “craft” a specific feed to only see videos I want to see.

I’m on a mix of animetiktok, sgtiktok, valoranttiktok and POVtiktoks. I [also] started posting because I like dancing, so it was fun to try out some of the not-so-cringey dance trends. 

I moved on to posting fashion TikToks like lookbooks which did well, and gaming TikToks since I stream. I’m actually on the app way too much now. Sometimes, you just get lost in the scroll.”

Advice to millennials who want to use TikTok: “Craft your For You Page into something you would enjoy watching, then you would like the experience. Honestly, there’s also a lot of good information about news, current affairs and social issues that are condensed into 60 second snippets which help you see things from a different perspective.”

— Leah Shannon, 27

2. “I picked up resin art just from watching videos and I got hooked on posting”

“I remember seeing school kids in uniforms dancing and making these videos in real life and thinking that they were just too young. I was very unimpressed and [felt that] nothing could make me want to download this app as it seemed like something for the younger generation.

However, I started seeing funny TikToks being reposted on Instagram. When I first downloaded TikTok, it was just out of curiosity. But after chancing upon videos of young girls dancing inappropriately, I deleted it after a day.

A month later, I was talking about TikTok with one of my friends and she told me that I needed to keep scrolling and liking things before TikTok understood what I wanted to see. I tried downloading it again and slowly my FYP started to show me funny videos, skits, food and things I actually liked. That’s probably when I got addicted and sold my soul to the app.

I now use TikTok daily as a way to unwind and find it very relaxing to just scroll mindlessly sometimes. I’ve learnt many new recipes and even picked up resin art just from watching videos of it being done. I wanted to try posting things I was doing, and after a couple of times I got hooked on posting.”

Advice to millennials who want to use TikTok: “It’s really helpful for learning new things, hacks and just unwinding in general. It is very addictive though, so I would be cautious of that.”

— Camillia Deborah, 25

3. “It can also be a great conversation starter with friends”

“To me, the general age range of people who use TikTok are between 13 to 30. I heard about TikTok from my friends when they shared funny videos with me or talked about songs associated with certain TikTok dances.

My original perception of TikTok was that it is boring, mainly because my For You Page (FYP) featured Xiao Mei Meis (XMM) dancing, which wasn’t really my thing. Many of my friends shared about the funny videos popping up on their FYPs but it didn’t for me. Hence, I felt that it didn’t live up to the expectation I held for it. 

I downloaded TikTok mainly to keep up with my friends as well as trends. I guess it sparked my curiosity as to why the app is so interesting. Now, I use TikTok often before I sleep and I am mainly on food and SG TikTok videos. I like [watching] funny content and ASMR slime videos [too] because they’re weirdly comforting.

I guess I am a pro TikTok user because I’m constantly updated about recent trends and songs. It can [also] be a great conversation starter with friends. My current perception definitely has changed from my original, as my FYP is now more curated according to my tastes and preferences.”

Advice to millennials who want to use TikTok: “TikTok is fun but don’t use it to spread hate!”

— C, 28

4. “TikTok is a platform where individuals with artistic talent can showcase their art”

Simon’s orientation group’s TikToks

“Previously, when TikTok first came out, I found out about it through Facebook after Vine’s popularity. I felt that TikTok didn’t have any quality content, as most people tend to sexualise their content to get views—especially when I saw kids as young as 12 [years old] doing provocative trends. 

Recently, I’ve been watching photography tips, foods, stand-up comedy and local TikTokers just for laughs. I scroll TikTok probably every few days and DouYin (a Chinese version of TikTok) almost daily. Personally, I do not post content on TikTok, but during orientation camps, my team used TikTok as game forfeits. We recorded TikToks and sent it to our orientation groups, and some of my fellow Orientation Group Leaders posted it on their accounts. 

I think that TikTok is a platform where individuals with artistic talent can showcase [their art] other than on Instagram. Meaningful content makes it worth using TikTok.” 

Advice to millennials who want to use TikTok: “If you have a talent in something just go for it. You’ll never know when your TikTok might become viral overnight.” 

— Simon Wong, 26

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5. “I watch a lot of life hacks on TikTok”

“I found out about TikTok through Instagram since my friends sent me videos of random uncles on the streets doing cool stunts which captured my attention. Originally, I thought TikTok was just like Musical.ly where people posted lip-syncing videos and viral dance moves only. I felt that people who used TikTok were mainly attention-seeking people. 

I downloaded TikTok after hearing about how amazing the TikTok algorithm is over a podcast. It’s able to curate a feed on the fly based on your interactions such as liking and sharing videos in the app. Also, I lowkey wanted to “keep up with the times” since it’s popular now.

I watch a lot of life hacks on TikTok, using the app around twice a week. As my boyfriend rented a claw machine, I mainly post content related to claw machines on TikTok to promote it.”

Advice to millennials who want to use TikTok: “If you know the motion of swiping, you will know how to watch TikTok. There’s no harm in trying to create videos on TikTok.”

— Hee Ling Yi, 25

6. “My music playlist expanded by 3 pages and I have 7 new food spots to try out”

Iqmall’s liked TikToks

“TikTok is the new meme currency. I [originally] thought TikTok was just kids dancing and I wouldn’t want to be caught dead watching stuff like that. Since there wasn’t anything for me on the app, I never hopped on.

I first got alluded to the brilliance of TikTok on Twitter, then Youtube compilations. I realised there’s a lot of good content that are short and informative, [thus] I downloaded the app to get stuff fed to me through the algorithm. As I was always on the receiving end when my friends sent me TikToks, I wanted to share videos I found funny too. 

Ever since I downloaded TikTok, my [music] playlist expanded by 3 pages, I have 7 [new] food spots to try out and saved a bunch of graphic design tutorials. I haven’t ventured into the hashtags— I’m a #FYP main for now. I guess the speed of the videos makes them so addictive. If I hate something, [I just] swipe up. I can consume a lot quickly and get to the good stuff ASAP. 

I use it for an hour most nights. I’ve also started repurposing my Instagram Stories onto my TikTok.”

Advice to millennials who want to use TikTok: “You’ve got to keep stuff open to see more weird and funny stuff. Trust me when I say that there’s something for anyone on it.”

— Iqmall Hayat, 28

7. “You can just use it to destress by watching videos that make you happy”

“I initially thought that people using TikTok were attention-seekers that used their appearances to get views. 

My boyfriend loves sending me cute TikToks of dogs and cats which got a little hard to watch on Whatsapp, so I decided to just download the app to exchange videos more easily. Since then, I love watching videos of cute pets, cooking and cake decorating videos. I use TikTok daily now, though I’m not proud to admit, but it is addictive once you watch stuff you like.

I post time lapses of my cake decorating progress on TikTok. I just wanted to test the audience on a different platform besides Instagram and Facebook. I think [TikTok] is a great platform to share fun and informative videos on how to do things, as I actually learnt a few things from TikTok that apply to real life.” 

Advice to millennials who want to use TikTok: “There is a huge range of different videos that will appeal to anyone on the app. You might actually learn something interesting, or [you can] just use it to destress by watching videos that make you happy.”

— Laura Martens, 25

8. “It’s better than Pinterest or Youtube for inspiration if you know how to use it”

“Initially, I thought TikTok was just for memes, but I steered clear [after seeing] XMM dances. However, I got back in and tailored the algorithm to get content I actually love.

I love watching comedy, anime, fashion and video editing inspirations, as well as relatable content. I used to watch TikTok daily, but now it’s around thrice a week on average. I usually post trends on TikTok too. TikTok feels like a short form of YouTube, [except] you need to go through the initial process of tailoring the algorithm.” 

Advice to millennials who want to use TikTok: “Stop judging a book by it’s cover. Tailor the algorithm and you’ll get awesome content. It’s better than Pinterest or Youtube for inspiration if you know how to use it.”

— Justin Oh, 25

These Millennials Show Us That TikTok Can Be A Fun App For Anybody

Keeping up with the latest trends doesn’t necessarily have an age limit. Though these millennials had their doubts, they’ve shown us that we shouldn’t be afraid to try new things and do whatever we enjoy doing. There’s no need to put a label on things according to the generation.

All images courtesy of interviewees.
Responses have been edited for grammar and clarity.

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The post 8 Millennials Who Used To Hate TikTok Share The Reasons Why They Now Love Using It appeared first on ZULA.sg.