Contact lenses

Contact lenses are worn by only a small proportion of the French population. In fact, only 5% of them wear them. Yet great progress has been made in terms of comfort. Most lenses are now made of silicone-hydrogel, a material that lets 6 to 7 times more oxygen through than conventional lenses.

As lenses are in direct contact with the surface of your eyes, it's important to seek the advice of your ophthalmologist when choosing the type of lenses that will correct your eyesight. In terms of correction, contact lenses offer a wider field of vision than glasses, and clearer peripheral vision, because they move with your eyes. They also change your appearance, compared with wearing conventional glasses. They give you a feeling of freedom when you're out and about.

Choosing your contact lenses

All types of correction are possible with contact lenses: astigmatism, myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia.

The two types of contact lenses currently available are soft and rigid. Soft lenses can be daily disposable or frequently replaced. Rigid lenses last longer than soft lenses,

Rigid lenses

Rigid lenses only account for around 5% of sales, as they are slightly more uncomfortable than soft lenses. The discomfort, however, disappears after a few days. They offer greater correction and can be used by people who live or work in a dry atmosphere, or who suffer from slight dryness of the eye. They can also be worn by children. It should be noted that with rigid lenses, infections and allergies are less to worry about.

Soft lenses

There are three types of soft contact lenses: traditional, daily disposable and frequently-replenished.

Traditional contact lenses offer excellent comfort, come in several sizes, and provide excellent correction even in cases of high astigmatism, myopia or hyperopia. However, they are not recommended for dry eyes, and can lead to infections. On the other hand, they clog up quickly and can gradually cause discomfort.

Daily disposable contact lenses last only one day, and are unusable the following day. They therefore have the advantage of always being clean and new. They can occasionally replace rigid lenses, when they are lost for example, or be worn for sports. On the other hand, they only correct classic disorders such as myopia, hyperopia or presbyopia. Frequent-use lenses are lenses that need to be replaced every 2 weeks to 3 months. They correct all types of ocular defects, but require very strict maintenance. On the other hand, in the case of severe visual defects, they perform less well than rigid contact lenses. It's important to choose a day of the week to change your lenses. For example, throw them away on Sunday evening, and get new ones on Monday morning. To make sure you never run out of lenses, mark the box with the date you open it, and order a new one right away.

Frequent-use lenses come in colored versions.

Colored lenses

They can change the color of your eyes, correct your vision or the intensity of your gaze. They come in natural colors, or fancy colors to match your look: black or intense red, fluorescent or cat-eye.

Colored lenses can also be corrective. You can buy them with a prescription from your ophthalmologist. They are then covered by French national health insurance in the same way as your ordinary lenses. If you have dry or fragile eyes, you should choose colored silicone-hydrogel lenses for optimum comfort.

Living with your contact lenses

Whether you're an extreme sportsman or just an occasional sportswoman, contact lenses will be an asset to your activities. Your vision will be clearer, and less distorted than with glasses. Contact lenses will give you greater concentration during action.

When traveling, it's undeniable that disposable lenses are by far the most practical. You won't need to take any cleaning products with you. However, when traveling by plane, it's best to keep a bottle of moisturizing drops close at hand, as the dry cabin atmosphere can be a hindrance to contact lens wear.

If you spend hours in front of your computer screen, you need to choose your contact lenses with care. In this case, blinking is less frequent, dryness or irritation can occur, and wearing lenses becomes tiring. A few precautions, such as controlling the brightness of the screen, or making the effort to blink more often, can help you keep your lenses optimally hydrated.

When it comes to make-up, you'll need to take special care: put the lenses in before applying eye make-up, and take them out before removing your make-up; choose products that are hypoallergenic, non-greasy and, above all, waterproof; and prefer compact powder to loose powder, to avoid dispersing on the lenses. When it comes to hairstyling, be sure to remove your contact lenses when coloring or perming your hair, as the products can irritate the eyes. Similarly, avoid using hairspray once your lenses are in place. Use it before you put them in.

Putting in or taking out contact lenses can present a few problems at first, but these are quickly solved with practice. You should, of course, wash your hands thoroughly and dry them with a lint-free cloth. Always put the lens in the right eye first, for example, to avoid confusing them, check that the lens is not upside down, and care for them with the appropriate products.