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June Newsletter: Specialty Contact Lenses Explained

Are Specialty Contact Lenses Right for You?

Would you like to try contact lenses but can't wear commonly available options? Specialty contact lenses may offer a good alternative. These lenses are specially designed for people whose vision conditions or symptoms make wearing traditional contact lenses uncomfortable or impossible.

What Are Specialty Contact Lenses?

More than 74% of first-time contact lens wearers wear daily disposable lenses, according to Eye on Eyecare's 2024 Contact Lens Report. Although soft daily lenses may be the most popular choice, the lenses may not be ideal for people who have conditions that affect the cornea or those who need sharper vision than soft lenses can provide.

Specialty contact lenses are custom-designed for your eyes, unlike standard contact lenses that are only available in limited sizes and prescriptions. These lenses may include special features designed to improve vision or may be made from different materials.

Specialty contact lenses include:

Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) Lenses. RGP lenses can be a good option if you have a high degree of astigmatism, a strong prescription, need sharper vision, or have keratoconus, a condition that causes the cornea to become cone-shaped. RGP lenses may be more comfortable for people with dry eye, as they don't dry out like soft contact lenses can. The lenses are resistant to protein buildup and can be a good choice if buildup makes soft lenses uncomfortable for you. RGP lenses are smaller than soft contact lenses and are made of a type of hard silicone that allows more oxygen flow to your corneas.
Scleral Lenses. Scleral lenses, a type of RGP lenses, cover the cornea and some of the sclera (the white part of the eye). Because these lenses rest on the sclera and not the cornea, they are more comfortable than traditional RGP lenses. Your optometrist may recommend scleral lenses if you have a strong (high) prescription, astigmatism, have severe dry eye or scars on your cornea, have eyelid issues, or have eye conditions or diseases, including keratoconus, keratitis, or graft vs. host disease.
Multifocal Lenses. Multifocal lenses include multiple lens powers for sharp vision at any distance. They're a good choice if you're nearsighted or farsighted and also have presbyopia, an age-related refractive error that makes close vision blurry as you get older.
Orthokeratology (Ortho-K)Lenses. If you have myopia (nearsightedness) and don't want to wear contact lenses or eyeglasses during the day, Ortho-K lenses may be a good option for you. Nearsightedness occurs when light focuses behind the light-sensitive retina because the eyeball is too long. Ortho-K lenses flatten your corneas while you sleep, ensuring that light refracts directly to the retinas. In addition to improving vision in adults, Ortho-K lenses may also slow the elongation of the eye in children with myopia. Forty percent of children showed lower levels of myopia progression after wearing Ortho-K lens, according to a research study published in Contact Lens and Anterior Eye in 2024.
Hybrid Lenses. The center of the hybrid lens is rigid, while the outer ring is soft. Hybrid contact lenses can be a good choice if you want the sharp vison RGP lenses provide, but prefer the comfort of soft lenses.

Not sure which type of specialty contact lens is right for you? Contact our office to schedule an appointment with the optometrist.

Sources:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: About Contact Lenses, 5/27/2025

https://www.cdc.gov/contact-lenses/about/index.html

Eyes on Eyecare: 2024 Contact Lens Report, 10/30/2024

https://eyesoneyecare.com/resources/2024-contact-lens-report/

Contact Lens and Anterior Eye: A New Look at the Myopia Control Efficacy of Orthokeratology, 10/2024

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38906728/

ScienceDirect: American Journal of Ophthalmology: Prevalence of Diagnoses of Dry Eye Disease Among Adults Age 18 Years and Older, 10/2017

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002939417302908

Cleveland Clinic: Scleral Lenses, 5/28/2024

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/scleral-lenses