The Basics of Contact Lenses
Many people new to contact lenses have a lot of questions: What’s the first step? Aren’t all contacts pretty much the same? How can I tell if my contact lens is inside out? And more.
The First Step: See Your Eye Doctor
If you want to wear contact lenses, you must first see an optometrist. This is the case even if you don’t normally wear glasses, and just want contacts to change your eye color. The reason? Contact lenses are medical devices that need to be prescribed, just like medicines, and properly fitted by an eyecare practitioner. In the United States, contacts can be legally purchased only with a valid written prescription.
The eye doctor will check your eyes to make sure it’s okay for you to wear contacts; today, nearly everyone can, but there are a rare few who can’t. Then, he or she will determine your prescription.
Once you have your Rx, you’ll want go to the Good Stuff: Choosing Your Contact Lenses.
The selection of contact lenses available can best be described as “vast.” Don’t worry about becoming overwhelmed, though: contact lenses can be broken down into several main categories based on what they’re made of, how often you need to replace them, and whether you can sleep in them.
Contact lenses are made of many different types of plastic, but they are divided into two main groups: soft or GP (also called rigid gas permeable).
Soft contacts contain from 25% to 79% water, are easy to adapt to and are quite comfortable. Rigid gas permeable contact lenses take longer to adapt to, but are more durable and more resistant to deposit buildup. They tend to be less expensive over the life of the lens (but the upfront cost is higher) and can offer some people crisper vision than they would have with soft contacts.
The replacement schedule of a contact lens refers to how long you can safely wear it before you need to throw it away. With GP lenses, you generally replace them every couple of years, because they are made of a very durable material (though a prescription change would necessitate new lenses). Soft contact lenses come in a wider variety of replacement schedules.
Soft Contact Lenses
Soft contact lenses are made of more flexible plastic that allows oxygen to pass. They can be disposed of on a daily, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly or even yearly basis depending on what your doctor thinks is best for your eyes.
Pros:
- Very short adaptation period
- More comfortable and more difficult to dislodge than GP lenses
- Available in corrections for astigmatism, multifocal, or various colors
- Great for active lifestyles
Cons:
- May not correct all vision problems
Color Contact Lenses
Color contact lenses come in three kinds: visibility tints, enhancement tints and opaque color tints. A visibility tint is usually a light blue or green tint added to a lens just to help you see it better during insertion and removal or if you drop it. Since it’s a very light tint, it does not affect eye color. An enhancement tint is a solid, but translucent (see-through) tint that is a little darker than a visibility tint. An enhancement tint does not change your eye color. As the name implies, it is meant to enhance the existing color of your eyes. These types of tints are usually best for people who have light-colored eyes and want to make their eye color more intense. Color tints are deeper, opaque tints that can change your eye color completely. Usually they are made of patterns of solid colors. If you have dark eyes, you’ll need this type of color contact lens to change your eye color.
Contact Lens Options for Aging Eyes
Many people facing middle age are trying to avoid one of the two telltale signs of aging: bifocals or reading glasses. Fortunately, there are several manufacturers that offer bifocal or multifocal contact lenses. These lenses come in both soft and gas permeable materials and can be used on a disposable (even daily) or planned replacement basis. Some of these lenses combine the correction for astigmatism as well. Most new designs are made from silicone hydrogel materials that allow more oxygen to reach the cornea.