Rochester, N.Y. – October 01, 2026 -- Multifocal contact lenses ranked as the fourth most selected anti-aging product category among U.S. consumers aged 38 and older, tying with fitness memberships and aesthetic dental care and outranking cosmetic procedures, according to new CooperVision research.
Survey of 752 U.S. adults exposes a wide awareness gap in presbyopia care
The report, "Unmet Opportunities: Multifocal Contact Lenses and the Anti-Aging Movement (U.S.)," surveyed 752 American adults aged 38 and up, combining the findings with market data on healthy-aging attitudes. Despite ranking high among 10 anti-aging categories once consumers were introduced to the product, more than half of respondents reported little to no familiarity with multifocal contact lenses or did not recognize the term.
Two-thirds of respondents want a younger appearance, nearly half worry about aging eyes
Two-thirds of those surveyed said they want to maintain a younger appearance as they age, and nearly half expressed concern about how their eyes look as they grow older. Familiarity with multifocal lenses correlated directly with willingness to adopt them: three-quarters of respondents who said they were very familiar with the lenses indicated they would consider wearing them, based on a subset of 150 respondents.
Younger presbyopes favor earlier conversations with eye care professionals
Nearly half of adults aged 38-42, drawn from a sample of 111 respondents, said they would prefer discussing presbyopia with their eye care professional before symptoms develop. Adults aged 38-47, based on a sample of 200 respondents, were significantly more likely than older groups (p≤0.010) to value multifocal lenses for feeling younger, improving appearance, and discreetly concealing signs of aging.
CooperVision frames findings as a practice growth opportunity for ECPs
"For many years, presbyopia discussions have typically started after patients begin noticing symptoms," said Jennifer Palombi, OD, FAAO, Director, Professional Affairs-Americas, CooperVision. The company said earlier patient-provider conversations tied to anti-aging themes could deepen relationships and grow practice revenue, and the report includes annual exam prompts designed to help ECPs introduce multifocal lenses earlier in the patient journey.