Hard Contact Lenses Are Making a Comeback by Offering More Benefits to Wearers

If you wear contacts, you're probably familiar with soft lenses. But hard contact lenses may be making a comeback. Here's more information on the original contact lens.

What Are Hard Contact Lenses?

Hard contact lenses are manufactured from a material called polymethylmethacrylate, or PMMA. PMMA is a rigid, clear material and the original plastic used in the development of contact lenses. Original PMMA lenses were difficult to get used to. The PMMA material didn't allow oxygen to pass through the lenses to reach the eyes, and healthy eyes require plenty of oxygen. As a result, wearers of PMMA lenses were likely to experience discomfort and have eye irritation and infection.

For today's hard lenses, PMMA is often combined with other plastics or materials like silicone to increase oxygen permeability, which is the ability of oxygen to reach the eyes. As a result, wearers experience increased comfort and improved eye health. These new lenses are called rigid gas permeable, or RGP lenses. RGP lenses were first introduced in the mid-1980s, years after soft lenses became popular.

Soft contact lenses, which were first introduced in 1971, are made from a plastic hydrogel polymer and have a high water content, which helps keep eyes healthy. Soft contact lenses are the most popular type of lens on today's market. But are they the best lens for you?

What Are the Benefits of Hard Lenses?

Research shows RGPs offer some benefits over soft lenses. RGPs retain their shape well when you blink, and this tends to provide crisper vision than would a soft lens. RGPs also are extremely durable and are difficult to tear. In addition RGPs are often the solution for people who aren't satisfied with vision improvement offered by soft lenses. For people with presbyopia, RGP bifocals and multifocals are a popular option. Recent studies also show that fitting nearsighted children with RGPs may slow the progression of nearsightedness.

What Are the Disadvantages of Hard Lenses?

RGPs transmit more oxygen to the eye than do most soft contact lenses. But, unlike soft lenses, to achieve maximum comfort with RGPs, you have to wear them every day. As a result, some people experience "spectacle blur" with RGPs, which is a condition in which vision is blurry whenever the lenses are removed, even when prescription eyeglasses are worn. While the condition is temporary, it makes regular wear of RGPs a necessity, and this can be inconvenient for some wearers.

Which Type of Lens Is Right for You?

Only your eyecare professional can determine the correct type of contact lens for you. To learn more about soft and hard contact lenses, feel free to browse our menu.

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