1. the best possible vision (as good or better than  with glasses)
2. the best possible lens comfort
3. the best eye health

Good hygiene is a vital part of wearing contact lenses and the patient will be fully instructed in contact lens care, including:

1. the insertion & removal of the lenses
2. the day to day cleaning & disinfection regime
3. Wearing times & schedule

Contact lenses are medical devices so how the patient wears and treats them is crucial to their eye health and their comfort experience, and poor compliance can lead to eye infections. 

THE CONTACT LENS AFTERCARE CHECKUPS
The aftercare appointment is therefore an extremely important part of wearing contact lenses and the optometrist will advise how regularly the patient needs to be seen.   This time scale will be dependent on the patient’s lens wearing history, the lens type, and the wearing pattern.

YOUR MAIN DECISION: How often do you intend to wear the lenses?

1.  Over 5 hours a day, for 6 or 7 days per week.
However well you look after soft lenses, they become deposited with protein and calcium from tears, and normal everyday grime.   The deposits affect the efficacy of the lenses and this could ultimately cause damage to the front of the eyes, and so for people who regularly wear soft lenses, frequent replacement is the answer.  The more often you replace the lenses the healthier it is for your eyes.

1. Daily Disposables—You wear these lenses just for the day and then throw them away.
2. Fortnightly Disposable—Worn everyday for 2 weeks and then thrown away; storage case & solutions normally included in price.
3. Monthly Disposable—Worn everyday for a month and then thrown away; storage case & solutions normally included in price.

All these lens schemes are paid for by direct debit and they also provide all the aftercare required (i.e. no extra cost for eye examinations & contact lens checkups); free replacement lenses if you lose or split one; 20% discount off spectacles and designer sunspecs.

2. Twice a week or less but usually over 5 hours each time they are worn.
The best method is daily disposable.   They are extremely comfortable and no cleaning or soaking solutions are needed.   They are worn just for the one occasion and then discarded.   The cost of the lenses reduces the more you order.

3. Two or three times a week and only a few hours each time (e.g. social use, round of golf etc.) 

1. Daily Disposables as above
2. Purchase of 6 pairs of monthly disposables, each pair is worn 30 times and then discarded - so if worn 3 times each week, 6 months supply will last a year.   There is a “no frills” option; where the lenses are much less expensive.

4. Constant Wear/ Occasional overnight wear
There are lens materials now available that allow more oxygen through to the eyes such that it is possible to wear lenses constantly for a month without removal.  An ideal alternative to laser eye surgery.  

5. Lenses for dry eyes or extra comfort
New lens materials that have an extra moisture layer to keep them comfortable all day long, available in Daily Disposables, Fortnightly disposables, and Monthly disposables.

• Tinted lenses to change your eye colour.
• Lenses to correct astigmatism.
• Bifocal/varifocal contact lenses.
• Crazy lenses for partygoers - Cats eye; Smiley face etc. a year’s supply can be purchased at a discounted rate.