The variety of types and brands of contact lenses that exist today sometimes it makes us difficult to determine which contact lens will be used. Sometimes we are even trapped only by famous brands of contact lens while not necessarily in accordance with the needs.

We recommend that you adjust the type of contact lens that will be used with the needs of your lifestyle, vision, and eye conditions. One of the factors that determine the quality of a good contact lens is the material used. Before deciding what contact lenses will be selected you should know the following types of contact lenses :

RGP or Rigid Gas Permeable

This lens is commonly referred to as semi-hard lens, because it is physically hard and rigid so that the level of comfort was low. Nonetheless, RGP is claimed to be the contact lenses that have the highest oxygen penetration among the other types so it is good for corneal health. So don’t be surprised if many ophthalmologists suggest this lens for some cases of eye disorders. RGP is perfect for people with high myop and high corneal astigmat.

HEMA contact lens (Hydroxyethylmethacrylate) or so-called soft lens, is the most widely used type today. Soft and flexible texture makes this contact lenses quite comfortable to use. The oxygen penetrate to the eye depends on the amount of water content of this contact lens. It has Hydrophilic (water loving) properties that easily absorbs tears, which sometimes makes the soft lens feel dry, especially for those who do not have enough tears or have activity in the air-conditioned room. Soft lenses are also available in minus size as well as cylinder, clear, or colored.

Silicone Hydrogel contact lenses can be spelled out as a blend of RGP's superiority with HEMA. These contact lenses have a similar flexibility with soft lens so comfortable to use. Because the material is unique, although its water content is low but its oxygen penetration is 5 times more than HEMA soft lens so it can be used up to 12 hours per day. It is suitable for those who need to use contact lenses for a long time.

Besides be divided based on the basic material, contact lenses can also be divided by life span. Contact lenses are available for monthly, weekly, or daily use, it can be depended to your needs and lifestyle.

Basically, all contact lenses are safe to use as long as we use it as the usage advice of each product. To determine which contact lenses are most suitable, you should do consultation and eye examination by ophthalmologists or optician first. Check your eyes regularly so that the eye health is preserved.

(source: adapted from various sources)