Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses

Silicone hydrogel contact lenses are popular with Optometrists because they are far more oxygen permeable than traditional hydrogel lenses, meaning they allow far more oxygen to reach the cornea(1), which is great for eye health and can increase wear times.

So what is Silicone Hydrogel?

Silicone hydrogel is a soft contact lens material designed to allow more oxygen to pass through the lens to the cornea than traditional hydrogel materials. Traditional soft hydrogel lenses rely largely on their water content to transport oxygen through the lens, whereas silicone hydrogel contact lenses combine hydrogel with silicone, which is highly permeable to oxygen. This allows silicone hydrogel lenses to provide high levels of breathability without needing a very high water content.

The result is a breathable contact lens material that is now widely used for daily, two-weekly and monthly contact lenses.

The new generations of “super oxygen permeable” Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses can transmit six to seven times more oxygen through to your eye than conventional hydrogel lenses. 
Interestingly the cornea is one of the few organs that has no direct oxygen supply from the body so the cornea needs to gain its supply of oxygen and nutrients from the air, this is one of the reasons why Optometrist love this new Silicone Hydrogel material, it offers minimal resistance to oxygen and nutrients reaching your cornea whilst wearing contact lenses.
Many wearers find increased comfort and easy adaptation to Silicone Hydrogel contact lenses and benefit from longer wear times(2)

Benefits and Disadvantages of Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses

Silicone hydrogel is one of the most widely used materials for modern soft contact lenses, but like any lens material, it will not suit everyone.

Benefits:

• High oxygen permeability – allows significantly more oxygen to reach the cornea than traditional hydrogel materials, helping to reduce problems associated with insufficient oxygen.
• Suitable for longer daily wear times – their high oxygen transmission can make them particularly useful for people who wear their lenses for many hours each day.
• Wide choice of lenses – silicone hydrogel is available in daily disposable, two-weekly and monthly lenses, including toric and multifocal designs.

Easy to handle – many silicone hydrogel lenses have good durability and can be easier to handle, particularly for newer contact lens wearers.

Disadvantages:

• Not necessarily more comfortable for everyone – higher oxygen permeability does not automatically mean greater comfort. The best material depends on your eyes, tear film and individual lens fit. Current evidence doesn't establish a clear comfort advantage for silicone hydrogel over hydrogel lenses.
• Can cost more – some silicone hydrogel lenses are more expensive than comparable hydrogel options.
• Not every wearer needs silicone hydrogel – a well-fitting hydrogel lens may still be an excellent choice for some people.

Key Points

Helpful Guide to Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses

Types Of Silicone Hydrogel Contact lenses

Silicone hydrogel contact lenses are available in all contact lens wearing types, Daily, two weekly, monthly continuous wear and coloured lenses, they are also available to correct various eye conditions.

• Myopia (Shortsightedness) - Is a common eye condition which causes blurred vision at a distance, but clear, more focused vision up close.There are a number of silicone hydrogel contact lenses from various manufacturers and even cheaper substitution lenses that can correct myopia, such as Dailies Total 1
• Hyperopia (longsightedness) - Causes objects close to you to be blurred, and objects at a greater distance to be clear. There are a wide range of silicone hydrogel contact lenses including cheaper substitution contact lenses available to correct Hyperopia, such as Qualis Daily Silicone
• Astigmatism - Astigmatism is a structural disorder in the eyes often resulting in unevenly shaped corneas that often causes blurry vision. There is a large range of Silicone hydrogel contact lenses to help correct this such as Biofinity Toric
• Presbyopia (Age-related farsightedness) Objects that are far away are easier to focus on, but objects closer to your face may become blurry or smeary. Multifocal silicone hydrogel contact lenses are available to help correct this such as Airoptix Multi focal Plus Hydraglyde.

As you can see if you need to wear silicone hydrogel contact lenses there should be an option out there for you.

Our Customers Top 10 Silicone Hydrogel Lenses

Which is Best Daily or Monthly Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses?

Daily silicone hydrogel lenses: are worn once and replaced with a fresh pair each day. They offer the convenience of no cleaning or storage and can be a good choice for everyday wear, occasional wear, travel, or anyone who prefers a fresh pair of lenses each morning.

Monthly silicone hydrogel lenses: are removed, cleaned and stored each night, then reused for up to a month according to the manufacturer's replacement schedule. They can offer a more economical option for regular contact lens wearers who are happy to maintain a daily cleaning routine.

But why stop there? Silicone hydrogel contact lenses are also available as, two-weekly disposable and extended wear lenses, so before choosing which silicone hydrogel lens is best for you, it's important to think about your wearing habits, lifestyle, prescription, and budget. Your optometrist can recommend both the most suitable lens material and replacement schedule that's best for you.

How Much Do Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses Cost

Silicone hydrogel contact lenses are a slightly more expensive option than regular hydrogel contact lenses.
The price of Silicone hydrogel contact lenses can vary considerably because they come in such a wide range of contact lens types. Not only are silicone hydrogel contact lenses available in daily disposable contact lenses they are also available as monthly disposables and continuous wear contact lenses. Those categories can be subdivided into torics and multi-focals, making it difficult to say how much each lens may cost, but you can typically expect to pay an extra 20% or more for Silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

Getting The Best Out Of Your Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses

To get the best out of your silicone hydrogel contact lenses make sure you wear them, and care for them as recommended by your Optometrist, so if you are wearing 
Daily disposable contact lenses you can simply throw the lenses out each evening and insert a fresh new pair each morning.
Monthly disposable contact lenses need to be removed every night, cleaned with an approved contact lens solution and stored in a contact lens case with fresh solution using this procedure:

Morning

• Wash and thoroughly dry your hands before handling your contact lenses
• Remove your contact lens from it’s storage case, apply a few drops of your recommended solution on the front and back of the lens and rub gently with your index finger
• Insert your contact lens
• Empty your contact lens case of solution and let it air dry

Evening

• Wash and thoroughly dry your hands before handling your contact lenses
• Remove contact lens from your eye, apply a few drops of your recommended solution on the front and back of the lens and rub gently with your index finger
• Store the lens in your contact lens case and submerge with fresh solution

Extended wear contact lenses remember to set a reminder to remove your lenses after 30 days or less if recommended by your optometrist.

Explore Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses

Ready to find the right silicone hydrogel lenses for you? Explore our full range of silicone hydrogel contact lenses, including daily and reusable options from leading contact lens brands.

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FAQ's

References

1. Hydrogel vs Silicone Hydrogel lenses
Published Optometirst Network
Dr. Russel Lazarus, November 4, 2021
https://www.optometrists.org/general-practice-opto...
2. Comfort and adaptation to silicone hydrogel lenses for daily wear
Kathryn A Dumbleton 1, Craig A Woods, Lyndon W Jones, Desmond Fonn
Published 2008 July
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18787429/
3. Wearing contact lenses overnight
BCLA.org.uk
https://bcla.org.uk/Public/Consumer/Wearing_contac...

Author: John Dreyer Optometrist Bsc(Hons), MCOPTOM, DipCLP
John qualified from Aston University in 1980, he has authored for Contactlenses.co.uk over the last 20 years, bringing his expertise to visitors to the site and providing valuable optical advice to customer questions throughout the years. He has been featured by several leading publications including The Express and ITProPortal