So You Want To Learn About Contacts? Here Follows A Description Of Soft Contact Lenses

Soft contact lenses, otherwise known as hydrophilic (water-absorbing) lenses are the most widely used type of contact lens available on the market. It is estimated that more than eighty percent of wearers in America use soft lenses. Unlike RGP (Rigid Gas Permeable) lenses, soft contacts are crafted from a plastic-like material known as hydrogel up to three-quarters of which can be comprised of water. Hence the term, "water-loving."

These natural properties not only make the lens more flexible, but thinner and able to transmit more oxygen to the eye than is the case with other types of lenses. One of the inherent benefits of soft contacts is that they are more comfortable and easier to become accustomed to than other variants. One drawback of soft lenses is that because of their inherent absorption ability, they are prone to acquiring protein deposits (absorbed from your tears) or other chemicals. As a result, unless proper precautions are taken or a careful cleaning regime followed, wearers of soft contacts are more likely to develop eye complications. They are also less durable than RGP lenses and may easily tear.

Because of their highly permeable nature, soft contact lenses are able to transmit a great deal (relatively speaking, of course) of oxygen to the eye. A natural consequence of this is that they can be worn for greater periods of time. This has given rise to a slew of products such as daily-wear, extended wear, and planned replacement lenses that offer varying levels of convenience and care regimes to suit the wearer. No description of soft contact lenses would be complete without making mention of price. The many advantages soft contacts offer do not come cheap and on the whole they are more expensive than their RGP counterparts.

Soft or hard, tinted or not; whatever your preference, the neatly arranged links on the right-hand side offer everything your eyes may require.

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