Traditionally, foreign manufacturers of contact lenses are more in demand - their products have stood the test of time and continue to improve. Against their background, Russian products look more uncertain, but are gradually conquering the modern market. This is confirmed by growing sales figures and an expanding range of models for solving various ophthalmic problems.
What are hard lenses for vision correction?
Hard contact lenses are devices made of silicone with hydrogel that help improve and correct vision.
Expert opinion
Slonimsky Mikhail Germanovich
Ophthalmologist of the highest qualification category. Has extensive experience in diagnosing and treating eye diseases in adults and children. More than 20 years of experience.
It is generally accepted that soft products are more comfortable to wear and safer. These prejudices come from the past, when hard lenses were made of plexiglass or polymer and contained harmful substances. Nowadays, hard lenses are not inferior in safety and comfort to soft ones.
Modern hard lenses allow air to pass through and allow the eyes to breathe, adapt to the shape of the eyeball, and are cleaned with a special solution - everything is the same as with soft lenses.
Important! When choosing contact lenses, pay attention to the oxygen transmittance.
On the packaging it is indicated as Dk/t, the higher it is, the better the quality of the lens and the more comfortable it is to wear.
Main brands
Next, we will consider the features and products of 9 CL manufacturers, which have become especially popular among domestic buyers.
Johnson & Johnson
A leading American holding company for the production of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, optical products and hygiene products.
REFERENCE! The holding includes more than 250 subsidiaries, united under the general name “Johnson & Johnson Family” with net profits of more than $15 billion per year.
The history of Johnson & Johnson CLs begins in 1981, when the holding purchased the Frontier Contact Lens Company, which produces Acuvue soft contact optics. Over the course of 5 years, the production of CLs was fully automated, and the line was updated using the latest technologies at that time. Acuvue is now considered the most famous brand of contact lenses, with more than 2 billion products sold to date.
Several KL lines are produced under the brand:
OASYS – one-day and multi-day lenses for the correction of myopia, hypermetropia and astigmatism. The CL features HydraLuxe technology for comfortable work with digital devices;- TruEye – “breathable” models for 1 day with a high level of oxygen permeability;
- MOIST – made using the unique LACREON moisturizing technology for increased comfort, designed for one day, the line includes astigmatic CLs;
- MOIST MULTIFOCAL - daily contact lenses, used to correct presbyopia, provide clear vision at any distance;
- DEFINE – colored beauty lenses that highlight the natural beauty of the color and pattern of the iris; there are options for dark and light eyes.
All Johnson & Johnson contact lenses are equipped with an ultraviolet filter and make it possible to individually select diopters for each eye.
Alcon and CIBA Vision
The international company Alcon has been working in the ophthalmic industry since 1945, producing a variety of products to solve vision problems. In 2011, 100% of Alcon shares were purchased by Novartis. Thus, there was a merger of two brands of contact lenses - Alcon and CIBA Vision. In 2021, the company planned to completely replace CIBA Vision CLs with Alcon CLs, but products of both brands can still be found on the Russian market.
The brand produces:
- Air Optix Aqua - oxygen-permeable lenses (87 Dk/t) without a UV filter with one-day and extended wearing modes;
- Air Optix for Astigmatism – toric contact lenses made of silicone hydrogel and intended for the correction of astigmatism;
- FreshLook – three lines of colored lenses (Colorblends, Dimension, Colors) for modifying the iris;
- Dailies AquaComfort Plus – one-day models with moisturizing and toning components;
- Focus Dailies Toric - products are designed for one day, their toric shape allows you to correct refraction for astigmatism.
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The Alcon brand produces not only lenses, but also multifunctional storage solutions, as well as moisturizing eye drops.
Bausch & Lomb
Founded in 1853, the American company began as a manufacturer of inexpensive eyeglass frames. It was she who came up with the idea of creating soft contact lenses, the production of which was launched in 1972.
IMPORTANT! Bausch & Lomb is gradually abandoning the production of hydrogel contact optics in favor of silicone hydrogel with improved characteristics.
The following models deserve special attention:
one-day Biotrue ONEDay – made of innovative material HyperGel, which imitates the properties of natural tear film;- monthly ULTRA - produced using two-phase polymerization technology, which combines high moisture content parameters and low elastic moduli;
- monthly PureVision 2 HD – High Definition optics, non-glare, suitable even for the postoperative period.
The PureVision line includes toric (SofLens Toric), multifocal (Multi-Focal), astigmatic (2 HD for Astigmatism), quarter (Optima FW) and increased thickness (Soflens 59) models.
CooperVision
The American brand CooperVision is one of the three leaders in the production of CLs. The company has its own research base to improve the useful properties of optics. CooperVision specialists regularly conduct training seminars for ophthalmologists on the use of contact vision correction.
CooperVision products include 4 lines:
- MyDay – daily replacement lenses with “smart” breathable silicone technology and protection from ultraviolet rays of the A and B spectrum;
- Biofinity family - premium CLs with a replacement period of 1 month and implemented technology of improved geometry;
- clariti family - daily contact lenses made of silicone hydrogel with a built-in UV filter;
- clariti elite - third generation CLs, designed for 1 month, are characterized by high moisture content and oxygen permeability, increased softness and comfortable UV protection.
The UV filter of CooperVision lenses does not completely cover the organ of vision, so the manufacturer does not recommend taking additional measures to protect against sunlight.
Adria
Adria is a Korean manufacturer of contact optics, best known for its large assortment of beauty lenses. Adria products are especially in demand among young people who want to radically transform themselves and choose optics for a specific outfit or holiday look.
Product lines:
Elegant – CL, covering the natural color of the iris to create the effect of “big eyes”;- Adria Glamorous - the complex pattern of these lenses makes the look especially deep;
- Color 1 tone, Color 2 tone – tinted contact lenses for light eyes, giving a light tone to the iris;
- Color 3 tone – saturated color CL, suitable for dark eyes;
- Crazy – carnival lenses in extreme colors and interesting prints;
- Neon – colored lenses that can create a neon glow in ultraviolet light;
- Sclera Pro – scleral models that completely cover the iris and sclera.
Adria also makes soft clear lenses with hydrogel and silicone hydrogel prescriptions. You can choose a model for daily, monthly and quarterly use.
Maxima
Maxima Optics (UK) Limited is an internationally renowned company with its head office located in the UK. The manufacturer has been operating on the Russian market since 1999, offering customers products for contact vision correction, spectacle lenses and care products.
REFERENCE! Maxima is a collective trademark. Ophthalmological products are produced by different manufacturers and sold under the “promoted” Maxima brand.
Products:
- Maxima SiHy - CL for a month, made using the patented Aqua Gen method, it guarantees long-term moisture retention due to the small wetting angle;
- Maxima 38 – CL for quarterly or semi-annual replacement with light tinting, optimal moisture content (38.7%) and oxygen permeability (23 Dk/t);
- Maxima 55 – monthly lenses with a large optical range, made of ocufilcon D Maxima material;
- 1-Day Premium - one-day contact lenses made of silicone hydrogel with improved oxygen permeability (86 Dk/t).
Maxima lenses are processed using Advanced Edge technology. It allows you to achieve special refinement and alignment of the edges for the most comfortable wearing.
Application in orthokeratology
Orthokeratology is vision correction using night lenses. The principle of correction is that the patient wears rigid gas-permeable products at night. The next day the person sees everything well even without glasses, because... overnight the shape of the cornea was corrected.
This is due to the fact that when the lens is put on, hydraulic force causes the myopic eye to thicken in the center and thicken at the edges. The image is focused on the retina. The new shape of the cornea lasts about 12 hours, after which the effect is slowly lost; in order to see well again, you need to repeat the procedure again.
The principle of correction for astigmatism and farsightedness is similar, only the lenses will have a different design. Thanks to it, the cornea becomes convex in the center or less toric.
The procedure has a cumulative effect. After the first use, vision improves by 75%, and after a week you can get 100%.
Important! The lenses act on the membrane through the tear layer, so the cornea is not injured.
Attention! Lenses must be “breathable”, because... if oxygen does not reach the cornea, this will lead to oxygen starvation of the tissues of the organs of vision, metabolic processes will be disrupted, swelling of the eye shell will occur, which will lead to changes in the structure of the eyeball and fragility of blood vessels. This is fraught with clouding of the cornea and destruction of the eye.
Lenses for orthokeratology are made of silicone, which is highly breathable.
Useful video
How to choose lenses? Which lenses are suitable for whom? EXPERT says:
What is special about gas permeable lenses?
This type of lens provides oxygen access to the cornea of the eye due to the material from which it is made, which has a smaller diameter compared to other lenses. They do not contain water and are resistant to deposits on the surface of the lenses. Ophthalmologists recommend gas-permeable hard lenses to patients when signs of corneal starvation—limbal hyperemia, neovascularization, etc.—appear.
Differences from soft
Hard lenses are made from a special type of silicone and hydrogel. Thanks to this, lenses have good breathability, while soft lenses transmit oxygen less well.
Unlike soft lenses, hard lenses solve the problem of visual impairment.
This type has high density and strength. They are difficult to scratch and tear, but they are easier to crush.
They are smaller in diameter than the cornea, while the soft ones cover it completely. Rigid lenses not only allow the cornea to breathe, but also moisturize and wash away dust particles from the tear fluid.
Thanks to the hydrogel, the lenses have a plastic texture without water content. They neither dry out nor irritate the eye, and do not require constant moisturizing with drops.
Lenses do not have an expiration date.
Specifics of wearing
Rigid night lenses are put on 10-15 minutes before bedtime and removed in the morning. To achieve the effect, the lenses must be worn for 8 hours in a row.
The mode of wearing lenses depends not on the time of day, but on the time of sleep. If the patient works at night and sleeps during the day, then the lenses are worn during the eight-hour daytime sleep.
Attention! It is necessary to monitor the condition of the lenses; if cracks or chips appear, they must be replaced immediately. Cracks and chips may occur due to frequent falls of lenses onto a table or floor.
Important! After a year and a half, it is necessary to replace the lenses with new ones.
To whom are they shown?
Rigid lenses are prescribed to patients with the following diagnoses:
- high degree astigmatism;
- keratoconus;
- postoperative or post-traumatic scars of the cornea;
- congenital anomalies of eye development;
- change in the shape of the cornea after excimer laser surgery;
- neovascularization of the cornea (ingrowth of blood vessels into the cornea);
- allergy to soft contact lens material;
- damage or absence of the iris in combination with astigmatism.
AQUAMAX contact lenses
Aquamax contact lenses are primarily intended for patients who want to switch from wearing monthly or quarterly lenses to more comfortable and safe bi-weekly lenses. The products of the Taiwanese company Pegavision, despite their quite affordable price, are of the highest quality, not much inferior to similar products from other, more famous manufacturers. This, by the way, is confirmed by numerous positive user reviews, which you can easily find on the Internet.
Contraindications
The use of hard contact lenses is contraindicated in patients with the following problems:
- diseases of the conjunctiva and cornea;
- chronic diseases of the eyelids;
- upper eyelid rigidity;
- dry eye syndrome;
- keratoglobus;
- keratoconus;
- lagophthalmos;
- astigmatism more than 1.75 diopters.
Rules of use: how to wear and store
Before putting on any lenses, you should thoroughly wash your hands and dry them with a towel that does not leave lint on the skin.
Since the hard lens is smaller than the cornea, it must be properly centered. To do this, look in the mirror and open your eye as wide as possible. When you see the lens, close your eye and look in the opposite direction from the lens. Without opening your eyes, carefully stroke the lens with your index and middle fingers, moving it towards the center, and at the same time slowly turn your eye towards it.
When removing the lens, you need to tilt your head horizontally. Open your eye as wide as possible, pull your eyelids up and out with your index finger while pressing down on your lower eyelid with your middle finger, and blink. The lens will fall out, so prepare your palm for it to fall into rather than onto a surface that could scratch it.
Lenses must be stored in a container in a special solution.
Attention! Do not wet them with saliva or anything other than a special solution intended for lenses.
Once every three months you need to visit an ophthalmologist to check your vision.
Two-week lenses from Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is one of the recognized world leaders in the production of a wide variety of products for hygienic and medical purposes, including contact lenses. The most popular two-week lenses from this company are ACUVUE 2. They are made from Etafilkon A - a material with a high moisture content and good permeability to oxygen. ACUVUE 2 contact lenses are perfect for people who care about the health of their eyes and a high level of comfort. After all, the entire technology of their production is a single alloy of innovative technologies with all the traditions of high quality.
Acuvue Advance with Hydraclear contact lenses are no less popular. They are distinguished by the presence of a special moisturizing component HYDRACLEAR in the thickness of their matrix. It not only enriches the eyes with moisture, but also makes contact lenses soft and delicate, making them almost imperceptible on the eyes. Acuvue Advance with Hydraclear is perfect for people who spend many hours in front of a computer monitor every day, as well as for those who work in rooms with dry air.
Many patients with particularly sensitive eyes or those suffering from dry eye syndrome are often forced to stop wearing contact lenses. In this case, doctors can recommend ACUVUE OASYS with HYDRACLEAR Plus lenses made from senofilcon A, a modern silicone hydrogel material. The improved moisturizing component HYDRACLEAR Plus has been introduced into the thickness of the matrix of these lenses, providing sufficiently high eye hydration throughout the entire period of wearing the lenses. The high rate of gas permeability makes these lenses “breathable”, that is, when they are worn, oxygen freely penetrates to the cornea, and this in turn eliminates the possibility of developing hypoxic damage.
Amazingly soft and thin ACUVUE OASYS with HYDRACLEAR lenses have a very short adaptation period.
Therefore, they can be the best choice for novice users. These lenses also have a built-in UV filter that reliably protects the eye structures from the negative effects of both natural and man-made ultraviolet radiation.
Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism with Hydraclear Plus lenses are available for patients with astigmatism. They have a toric design. In other respects, these lenses are similar to those discussed above ACUVUE OASYS with HYDRACLEAR Plus.
How to choose the right model?
Choosing your first lenses on your own is problematic. Therefore, if you decide to wear lenses, the selection will take place in several stages:
- consultation with an ophthalmologist, at which you need to inform about your state of health, vision correction (if any), find out whether this method of vision correction is right for you and about possible contraindications;
- examination to collect eye characteristics: pupil diameter, condition of the cornea and tear ducts;
- Using special diagnostic lenses, suitable contact lenses are selected, but sometimes a repeat visit to the ophthalmologist is required;
- making a decision to purchase lenses, placing an order, waiting for lenses to be manufactured.
Bright colors with Doctor Optik
Another domestic manufacturer of contact lenses is the capital]"Doctor Optic"[/anchor], created in 1996. Initially, it was just a distributor of optical products from such popular foreign manufacturers as CooperVision, Sauflon, Innova Vision and others. What lenses does this brand produce? In 2010, the company developed its own trademark, which was called “Svetlenz”. Under this name, colored and tinted lenses, as well as products for their care, were supplied to opticians and online stores. The goal of Doctor Optic specialists is to create products of the highest quality to satisfy the needs of their customers. That is why the company’s employees are constantly developing developments aimed at improving the quality of raw materials, manufacturing techniques and technologies and, of course, the quality of the finished product. One of the main tasks of Doctor Optik is the development of decorative lenses designed for short periods of wear, capable of providing the eyes with good hydration and an optimal level of oxygen permeability. In our online store you can purchase the following brand products
"Doctor Optician":
- “Svetlenz” solutions in bottles of 60 ml, 120 ml, 240 ml, 360 ml;
- Svetlenz moisturizing drops, compatible with all types of contact vision correction devices;
- contact lenses with cosmetic and corrective effect "Svetlenz" 55.
Regardless of whether you need vision correction or not, you should select lenses only under the strict supervision of an ophthalmologist.
Modern manufacturers
The manufacturers listed in the table are leaders in sales; the lenses have all the advantages listed in the article and contain virtually no disadvantages, except for their high cost.
| Manufacturer | approximate cost |
| Contex OK E-system | 7650 rubles per piece |
| Euclid Systems Corporation (Emerald) | 7650 rubles per piece |
| Paragon CRT | 10200 rubles per piece |
| Dr. Lens | 9500 rubles per piece |
Storage conditions
The original packaging contains one lens. Unopened lenses are stored until the expiration date indicated on the packaging. If there is no deadline, then it can be stored indefinitely until it is opened.
After the packaging has been opened and the lenses have been worn, you need to place them in a special container with lens solution. The solution changes depending on the contamination, approximately once every 3-5 days.
If the lenses are sold dry, then they are stored without solution, but before wearing they are placed in the solution for a couple of hours.
Useful video
Care of contact lenses. Caring for your lens case:
Names – brands of hydrogel lenses
According to the wearing period, hydrogel contact lenses come in the following brands:
Brands of daily hydrogel lenses
- – one-day – Acuvue 1-day Moist, BioTrue, Biomedics 1 Day Extra, Dailies Aqua Comfort plus, Soflens daily disposable, Proclear 1 Day
Brands of two-week hydrogel lenses
- - two weeks - Acuvue 2
Brands of monthly hydrogel lenses
- - for a month of wear - Biomedics family of lenses, Maxima 55 comfort, Proclear, Soflens comfort 59, Adria Sport
Brands of quarterly hydrogel lenses
- - quarterly replacement - Biomedics 38 and the most popular hydrogel contact lenses Optima FW
Brands of long-wear hydrogel lenses
- - for six months - lenses Adria Morning 55, Morning 38
Reviews
Marina, 42 years old:
“I’ve been wearing lenses for 12 years, and corrective lenses for 5 years. There is a difference, of course. If I had known earlier that you could sleep in lenses and walk without them during the day, so many problems would have been solved immediately. The downside of the lenses is that I felt them after putting them on for about 10 minutes. Now I’m used to them. Before this it was very annoying. The cost is high, but I paid once and forgot. I think, in total, ordinary lenses collect the same amount per year.”
Alexander, 26 years old:
“I was surprised when I heard about OK therapy and didn’t immediately believe it. I couldn’t decide for a long time, I studied the reviews, after all, the price was high, I didn’t want to just give away the money and not see the result. I decided to try it. We chose lenses with an ophthalmologist, it was difficult to get used to them, but the result is worth it. I am a swimmer and previously could not use lenses or glasses, the image was unclear. Now I see everything perfectly. Overall I'm pleased."
