Tap hard lenses tips

Hard contact lenses, also known as Rigid Gas Permeable lenses, are made of a hard plastic that allows oxygen to reach your eyes. Hard contacts perform better or correct some vision problems more effectively than soft lenses.

There are three types of contact lens materials:
• Hard (PMMA) lenses, the original type of contact lens, now virtually redundant
• GP contact lenses (made primarily of fluorosilicone acrylate, introduced in 1987)
• Soft lenses, made of gel-like plastic, first marketed in 1971.

Advantages of GP lenses
GP contact lenses are also known as rigid gas permeable lenses or RGPs. Your eye doctor may also call them RGPs. GP contact lenses are made of a strong, durable plastic that allows oxygen to pass through. They offer excellent eye health: because they don't contain water like soft lenses, they are deposit-resistant and less likely to harbor bacteria than soft contacts. GP contact lenses are easy to clean and disinfect, don't dry out, are easier to use, and last longer than soft lenses. And because GP contacts retain their shape better, they provide sharper vision than soft contact lenses.

Hard lenses are sometimes more difficult to remove
Hard contacts are generally easier to handle due to their rigid exterior, but they can sometimes be more difficult to remove and tend to get stuck in your eyes or move during the removal process. Nevertheless, there are ways to avoid the frustration of removing them.

Tips for removing your hard lenses
Wash your hands before removing your lenses. Always start with your right lens.
The most common way to remove gas permeable lenses is the stare-pull-blink method. To remove your right lens, hold your left hand under your eye and bend forward. Open your eye as wide as possible. Then, use your right index finger to firmly pull the skin at the outer corner of your eye up and outward, then blink. The lens should fall into your left hand. For the left lens, switch hands. The lens should fall into your right hand.

Another way to remove your lenses is with a contact lens plunger. You can get one from your eye care professional. First, wet the tip of the plunger. Separate your eyelids and bring the plunger to the center of the lens. Gently touch the plunger to the lens and pull it away. Be careful not to let the plunger touch the eyeball itself. To remove the lens from the plunger, twist the plunger one way and the lens the other way.

A third way to remove hard contact lenses is to place one finger along your lower lash line and a finger of your other hand along your upper lash line. Don't press so hard that the edge of your eyelid extends outward. Bend over a counter or table covered with a clean towel. Using a scissor-like motion, slide the rims of your eyes together and catch the edge of the lens. The lens should pop out and land on the towel.