Types of Contact Lenses

Contact lenses are either soft or rigid, relating to their material characteristics. Your Optometrist will discuss these lens types with you and will decide which type of lenses will be most appropriate for you.

Soft Contact Lenses

Soft lenses are pliable. Their sponge-like structure holds water (hydrogel lenses) or silicone (silicone hydrogel lenses), enabling oxygen to pass from the air to your eye, keeping it healthy. They are easy to adapt to and are comfortable to wear.

Silicone Hydrogel contact lenses are now seen as the “latest generation” in contact lenses. They are far more permeable to oxygen than the original hydrogel lenses and are therefore much healthier for the eyes. In most cases, our Optometrists will advise wearing silicone hydrogel lenses over hydrogel lenses.

There are several wearing options for soft contact lenses:

Daily Lenses

Daily disposables: these soft lenses are worn once and thrown away. Our patients like the fact that they don’t have to worry about cleaning them, so they are more convenient. They are also ideal for occasional wear for sports or social events and for younger wearers. They are available in both hydrogel and silicone hydrogel materials.

Two-weekly or monthly contact lenses: these soft lenses are worn during the day then cleaned, disinfected and stored overnight in contact lens solution.

Monthly Silicone Hydrogel Lenses

Around half of the contact lens population in the UK wear monthly lenses as there are lots of lens options available and they are more economical than daily disposable lenses.

Planned replacement contact lenses: these soft lenses are made from a material which deteriorates over time and so must be changed every 3, 6 or 12 months. As they are kept for a longer period of time, calcium and protein deposits from your tears can build up, so there is an increased risk of infection. A stringent hygiene routine is even more essential.

Rigid Gas Permeable Contact Lenses

RGP lenses

Rigid lenses, usually Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP), as the name suggests, are oxygen permeable and less flexible. They are usually smaller than soft lenses. Patients can find RGP lenses uncomfortable at first but after a short period of adaptation, they can prove particularly successful, especially for correcting more complex prescriptions including high levels of astigmatism. They are usually replaced on an annual basis.

Ortho K

Our Camberley practice has recently started this treatment which is fully reversible, works by reshaping the cornea overnight with specially designed contact lenses enabling patients to see clearly without contact lenses or glasses during the day. To find out more, please look at the details on our Camberley page.