Contact lenses are not just a way of looking cool with different colored lenses (though it is nice to sport green cat eyes one day and soft alluring brown the other!) but are very effective tools for people who suffer from vision problems. All problems like myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism can be corrected with the help of contact lenses. In fact nowadays, one can find contact lenses that help even those suffering from presbyopia and who need bifocals. Soft contact lenses are just an improvement on ordinary contact lenses, aimed at making their usage more comfortable. There are a variety of soft contact lenses in the market today. These range from disposable, singe use contact lenses to extended wear lenses that you can wear for a month. So how do you decide what soft contact lens is best for you?

More about soft contact lenses....

The two main types of soft contact lenses that are in the market today are - the daily disposable contact lens and the silicone extended wear ones.

The daily disposable contact lenses, as the name suggests, are to be worn for just one day and to be thrown away at the end of the day. This offers great advantages to users as they do not have to worry about the constant cleaning of contact lenses, they can replace them at their convenience and they also reduce other contact lens problems such as dry eyes or eye irritation. The extended wear disposables are made of a new silicone hydro gel substance and are advantageous in an entirely different way, as they can be worn by the user for up to 30 days and nights without problems. These too are found to reduce dry eyes, plus the silicone hydro gel prevents deposits from building up.

And of course, there are the cool-looking colored soft contact lenses. These may seem to be more of a fashion statement but in reality are quite practical. Colored contact lenses that have a light tint are easy to find if you drop them whereas certain lenses have what are called enhancement tints to bring out the natural color of your eyes. Color tinted lenses of course, change the color of your eyes but there are also specialty light-filtering tinted lenses used by athletes. These brighten certain colors and mute others.

...And how to choose from them

The best way to go about it is to first consult your eye care provider. Get your eyes checked and then consult him on what kind of contact lens wear would be best suited for your purpose. Would you be wearing it full-time? Do you need them only when you are involved in active sports or maybe you want to wear them for social occasions? Based on your requirements, your eye care provider will suggest the best type of contact lenses for you.

For each type of soft contact lens , there are a wide variety of styles available today and you can certainly find one that fits you. You could go in for contact lenses from one of the well-known brands or get one custom-made to match your prescription.

Soft contact lenses today with their wide array of makes and designs will satisfy both your eye care requirement and your sense of style.