It’s not X-Men, just LASIK. A few minutes with a laser and your cornea – the VIP layer responsible for letting light in the eye– undergoes a makeover. Sounds wild and scary, we know, but it’s as common as your morning kale smoothie.

Picture your cornea as the bouncer at Club Vision. Its side gig is bending light so that it reaches your retina and cues your brain to make sense of what you see. Cornea’s shape can meddle with the light refracting off it, queering the pitch of your image clarity. Laser eye surgery plays beauty specialist by reshaping your cornea, making images seem Vogue-like clear.

Before you jump in, an ophthalmologist – a legit eye doctor, not some fad inventor – will conduct a series of exams to verify if your eyes are set for the surgery. Specific instructions will be shared to gear up for the D-day, like ditching contact lenses for a while.

Getting into the nitty-gritty of the surgery, a cornea tissue flap will be made (sound worse than it is, promise), folded back, and another laser comes in to reshape the cornea. Once done, the flap finds its home back, no stitches necessary. So, within 10-15 minutes an eyeball, you exit the operating room with Star-Wars-level sight.

But it's not a pizza deal, so both eyes may not be worked on in the same visit. Keeping your eyes open can be tricky when a laser is coming at them, so an eyelid speculum works as a blink-preventing tool. Expect some burning or discomfort after the surgery; it's not a party, pal. A shield is deployed to prevent you from the irresistible urge to rub your eyes.

Post-op, careful navigation is needed. Make sure you've got a chauffeur for the day. Regular follow-up appointments will be scheduled, but if Thor’s hammer lands in your eye, call your surgeon immediately.

Following the surgery, you'll be seeing rainbows in 2-3 days. However, expect up to six months for your vision to play nice. As we age, our eyes trade youth for wisdom, so minor changes might pop up.

Get ready to toss your glasses and contacts out of the window because after laser eye surgery, they'll turn into relics of a blurry past. There are risks, as with any surgery, but most side effects are short-term visitors.

The key takeaway is: LASIK can improve vision for nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, but can also cause irritation, halos, glare, and light sensitivity. Always sit down with your eye doctor to discuss any persisting or new symptoms. Laser eye surgery can be a magnificent bridge to clear vision, but it's not Harry Potter’s wand. Be savvy, informed, and realistic in your pursuit of perfect sight.