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Home » What's New » Rigid Lenses: Do They Make Sense for You?

Rigid Lenses: Do They Make Sense for You?

 

Although you may be most accustomed to soft contact lenses, another less familiar kind of contact lenses exists: gas permeable (GP) lenses, sometimes known as oxygen permeable lenses.

In reality, hard lenses involve newer technology than soft contacts, and they are longer-lasting, can be more effective in improving vision, and provide improved durability and deposit resistance. Further RGP lenses can also be cheaper in the long term than soft lenses. Of course, its best to first discuss with an eye doctor to decide if hard lenses fit your lifestyle. Our optometry staff can assist you in determining if GP lenses are right for you.

Because an RGP is constructed from stiff material, it does a good job of maintaining its shape when you blink, which tends to provide crisper vision than the typical soft lens. In addition GPs are particularly long-lasting. Although they can crack if stepped on, they don’t easily rip like soft lenses. Further, since they consist of materials that don't include water, proteins or lipids from your tears don’t stick to GPs as easily as they will to soft lenses. Those of you who are extra particular about vision quality will most likely opt for RGPs.

Rigid lenses are also a good choice for contact wearers that have certain conditions such as astigmatism, presbyopia or keratoconus, where standard contacts may not fit comfortably or provide enough variety. RGPs are sometimes necessary when there is corneal warpage from mistakes in refractive surgery.

Dr. Vaughan also can custom make rigid gas permeable lenses that precisely match your corneal curvature.  He uses a Keratron topographer with WAVE software for these lenses.  We are have been impressed with the comfort and precision design of these durable lenses.

If you're checking out RGP lenses, be sure to ask us if you truly are a candidate. You never know…hard lenses could be the right answer for you!