| What are the different types of Contact Lenses? |
 Soft Contact Lenses
Soft contact lenses are made of soft, flexible plastics that allow
oxygen to pass through to the cornea. Soft contact lenses may be
easier to adjust to and are more comfortable than rigid gas
permeable lenses. Newer soft lens materials include silicone-hydrogels
to provide more oxygen to your eye while you wear your lenses. |
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Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) Contact Lenses
Rigid gas permeable contact lenses (RGPs) are more
durable and resistant to deposit buildup. They tend to be
less expensive over the life of the lens since they last
longer than soft contact lenses. They are easier to handle
and less likely to tear. However, they are not as
comfortable initially as soft contacts and it may take a few
weeks to get used to wearing RGPs, compared to several days
for soft contacts. |
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Disposable (Replacement Schedule) Contact
Lenses
The majority of soft contact lens wearers are prescribed some
type of frequent replacement schedule. "Disposable," as defined by
the FDA, means used once and discarded. With a true daily wear
disposable schedule, a brand new pair of lenses is used each day.
Some soft contact lenses are referred to as "disposable" by contact
lens sellers, but actually, they are for frequent/planned
replacement. With extended wear lenses, the lenses may be worn
continuously for the prescribed wearing period (for example, 7 days
to 30 days) and then thrown away. When you remove your lenses, make
sure to clean and disinfect them properly before reinserting. |
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Decorative (Plano) Contact Lenses
Some contact lenses do not correct vision and are intended
solely to change the appearance of the eye. These are sometimes
called plano, zero-powered or non-corrective lenses. For example,
they can temporarily change a brown-eyed person's eye color to blue,
or make a person's eyes look weird by portraying Halloween themes.
Even though these decorative lenses don't correct vision, they're
regulated by the FDA, just like corrective contact lenses. |
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Scleral Contact Lenses
Scleral lenses are larger lenses made of gas permeable
material used to correct vision in a number of conditions
such as keratoconus, post-refractive surgery corneal issues,
ocular surface disease, dry eye, and even normal refractive
errors. |
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Prosthetic Contact Lenses
Prosthetic lenses are used to achieve an improved
cosmetic appearance when an eye has a misshaped pupil. If
two eyes appear different due to a pupil irregularity,
prosthetic lenses can be designed to match the iris of the
other eye. |
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