Optician in Myeongji, Busan: reading glasses in a day at Second Face

Small print had gone blurry and my eyes tired out fast when reading, so I visited Second Face Myeongji, an optician in Myeongji, Busan. Here is how I got a sight test and had reading glasses made, what they cost, how they felt afterward, and the fashion frames I browsed, including Chrome Hearts.

Glasses have never really been part of my life, so I'll explain why I ended up looking for reading glasses, how they felt once I used them, and what they cost.

Why I needed reading glasses: eyes that couldn't manage three pages

Small text turned blurry and focusing became hard, until I couldn't get through even three pages of a book. That's what brought me to Second Face Myeongji. Over time I've naturally felt my eyesight getting worse than it used to be.

They say you notice aging on your skin first, but personally I think declining eyesight hits hardest. At school my vision tested at 2.0, so I'd barely ever thought about needing glasses.

But at some point small print started looking blurry when I read, and focusing got difficult. My eyes got so tired that I kept closing the book after three pages or so. I love reading, and it felt wrong to keep avoiding books because my eyes were uncomfortable, so I decided to stop putting it off and visited Second Face in Myeongji.

How the sight test and consultation went at Second Face Myeongji

At Second Face Myeongji, a staff member guided me through several tests.

The results were worse than I expected, and I was told my eyesight had dropped quite a lot even compared with people my age.

Apart from reading, I hadn't thought of it as a big problem.

But after hearing the explanation, I realized I'd probably been frowning at my computer monitor and phone, or holding the screen close, without noticing.

I'd seen an eye doctor before about things like dry eyes, and nothing was wrong. So I figured the answer was simply to reduce everyday discomfort as my eyesight changes naturally.

Choosing reading glasses and what they cost

The reading glasses I had made at Second Face Myeongji cost around ₩100,000 including the frame, and since they're made to your prescription, they took about a day to finish. Reading was my biggest problem, so after the consultation I chose glasses set for reading distance.

They're what people usually call reading glasses, but they still need to be fitted to your current eyesight and the distance you actually use them at. There were more good-looking frames than I expected. I tried on lots of them and picked a design that suited my face and that I liked.

I'd only pictured functional designs when I thought of reading glasses, but many of the frames looked natural for everyday wear, so choosing was kind of fun.

Mine are made to my prescription, so I couldn't take them home right away. It took about a day to finish.

I was curious about the price too: the pair I had made, with a nice frame, came to around ₩100,000.

I was happy to get glasses that are comfortable for reading and that I like the look of, at this price level.

Reading with my new glasses

Honestly, I could have done this a bit earlier. My eyesight used to be so good, and I didn't feel much discomfort outside reading, so I kept putting it off.

I've hardly worn glasses my whole life apart from sunglasses, so I think I felt a bit of resistance to the idea of needing presbyopia or reading glasses.

But once I had the reading glasses made at Second Face and actually read with them, I changed my mind. The blurry letters looked much more comfortable, and I no longer felt like I was straining my eyes to focus. Above all, I'm happiest that reading time is comfortable again.

I wish I hadn't just put up with it and had looked into reading glasses sooner.

Why get reading glasses fitted after a test instead of buying ready-made ones

My main takeaway from wearing my Second Face reading glasses is that what matters is less whether you wear glasses and more how comfortable they make the vision that bothers you now. I already knew that wearing glasses doesn't make presbyopia progress faster.

Still, since I'd never worn glasses apart from sunglasses, the thought of needing reading glasses felt a little strange.

Once I actually used them, what mattered was how comfortable they made the vision that bothered me, not whether I wore glasses or not.

If you used to have good eyesight like me and now find books or your smartphone uncomfortable at close range, it's worth checking where your eyes are at.

Also, like glasses for nearsightedness and astigmatism, the glasses you need depend on your own vision. So rather than just picking ready-made reading glasses, I think it's important to have a simple test, as I did at Second Face, and choose according to how you'll use them.

Fashion eyewear brands you can see at Second Face Myeongji

Second Face Myeongji displays fashion glasses and sunglasses from Ray-Ban, Ray-Ban Meta, Cartier, Miu Miu, Gucci and Chrome Hearts. I came for reading glasses, but with so many fashion frames and sunglasses in the shop, I naturally ended up browsing.

From Ray-Ban products, which people in Busan looking for Ray-Ban can compare, to Ray-Ban Meta, Cartier, Miu Miu, Gucci and Chrome Hearts, there were many brands on display. It felt like an optician in Myeongji that's good for people who care about design, not just function.

You can also look at child myopia-control lenses such as Essilor Stellest,

and get consultations related to Zeiss Expert, so it looked like a good visit for anyone interested in managing their growing child's eyesight too.

On top of that, at Second Face Myeongji I could browse glasses from the handmade eyewear brand Yuki Iwasaki, along with various house-brand frames. Being able to look at fashion glasses while coming in to have reading glasses made felt like another plus for Second Face Myeongji.

Glad I didn't put off getting reading glasses

The biggest change after having reading glasses made at Second Face Myeongji was how comfortable reading became. If you're like me, with eyesight that used to be good but small print in books or on your phone now looking blurry, it's worth checking your current vision rather than just putting up with it.

After a simple test at Second Face Myeongji, an optician in Myeongji, and having reading glasses made, the biggest change was how comfortable reading became.

Not having to strain my eyes to force out the letters alone made reading time far easier. At first it felt a bit awkward to accept I needed reading glasses, but now I wonder why I didn't get them sooner. I picked a nice frame myself, had them made to my eyesight, and at around ₩100,000 I was personally happy with the choice.

If blurry close-up text has you putting off reading, looking into reading glasses that suit your eyesight and how you'll use them is a good idea.