There’s a whole generation of spex wearers out there who have very bad memories of how contact lens wear used to be – are you one of them? And have you ever thought about trying them again?

The first commercially available lenses were rigid and fitted over the entire white of the eye – sounds scary! Even when we moved on to small hard lenses during the Sixties, they were expensive, hard to look after, and uncomfortable for many patients.

During the Seventies and Eighties soft lenses became more popular, but for some patients they caused as many problems as they solved! They were expensive, hard to handle, and difficult to clean. They also had to be closely monitored to ensure the eye was healthy and enough oxygen was getting through the lens. Sterilising systems involved boiling the lenses or plugging in an electric case, as well as cleaning solutions and regular use of protein remover tablets. For the shortest holiday you almost needed extra luggage for the complex chemicals you had to take with you!

Thankfully, times have changed. During the late Eighties disposable lenses crept into the market place. This proved to be a revolutionary step forward. Johnson and Johnson paved the way with their Acuvue lens, which could be worn for extended wear periods and then simply thrown away. So you always had spare lenses, there was no cleaning regime, and they could be made of high oxygen transmission, high water content, thin and comfortable materials.

Since then the market has become chock full of lens options, to suit all lifestyles, pockets and prescriptions. There are lenses that you can wear for a day, a week, a month, and you can sleep in some. Long term care issues like protein remover tablets are no longer necessary, and cleaning systems are simpler and cheaper. The lenses themselves are far less expensive too!

If you have a spectacle prescription there are masses of options open to you now. Even if lens wear was unsuccessful for you last time, why not give them another go? Thanks to the online Optician you can buy inexpensive but stylish glasses, and still afford to have contact lenses whenever you need them. Contact lenses can be bought online too, just make sure you have regular check ups with your Optician.