All About Contact Lenses

Different Types of Contact Lenses

There are various types of contact lenses available for vision corrections and cosmetic or fashion accessories. You may wear the lenses for correcting vision problems as well as for changing eye color and aesthetic purposes.

Contacts can be divided into several main categories based on what material they're made of, whether you can sleep in them, how often they need to be replaced, how they change the color of your eyes, and the type of refractive error they corrects. Here are details of each category.

Soft and Gas Permeable Lenses Material

Contacts come in soft (hydrogel or hydrophilic) and RGP (gas permeable) plastic material types. Soft lenses contain from 25% to 79% water and are very flexible. They are easy to adapt and are comfortable but may not give as crisp of vision as RGP's.

RGP lenses are the improved conventional "hard" lenses that are stiffer and smaller in diameter compared to soft contacts. You need a longer time to get accustomed to them. If you require a specialized prescription chances are gas permeable material can meet your vision correction and occupation needs.

Daily Wear and Extended Wear

The "wear" term refers to wearing time. This is about convenience in wearing contacts.

Daily wear lens is removed at night for cleaning and disinfecting. This lens type is healthier because the risks of eye infections, caused by reduced amounts of tears and oxygen that reach the cornea, are lower.

Some people don't like the hassle of inserting and removing contacts as well as caring for their lenses. They just want to put their lenses in and sleeping with the lenses on for a week at a time. The lenses that cater these needs are extended wear lenses. They are very convenient but some experts warn that the application is less healthy than daily wear lenses.

Flexible wear is a compromise between convenience and eye health. If you wear these lenses you may sleep in them but you can remove your contacts occasionally for lens care as well as for eye care.

Get more info about replacement schedules and types of contacts.

Back from Contact Lenses to Presbyopia Contacts Home Page

Contact Lenses Contact Us About Us Terms of Use Privacy Site Map