Contact lenses are an extremely popular choice for those who need corrective eyewear but don’t wish to wear glasses every day. If you’re interested in wearing contact lenses for the first time, it’s normal to have questions about where to begin, how to wear them, and how to take care of them properly. At Hakim Optical, we’ve put together a contact lens guide with some of the most important information to help both new and experienced contact lens wearers.
What Is A Contact Lens Exam
Most people think that an eye exam and a contact lens exam are the same thing, but in reality, they serve very different purposes. When it comes to an eye exam, your optometrist is examining the health of your eyes including checking for farsightedness, nearsightedness, as well as health issues that are present within your eyes and your body.
During a contact lens exam, however, your optometrist is checking to see if you’re a good candidate for contact lenses. This includes measuring the health and curvature of your corneas and asking you questions about your daily routines to determine if you’d be better off with dailies, weeklies, or monthlies.
Learn more about contact lens exams
How To Read Your Contact Lens Prescription
When you first receive your contact lens prescription, although it can be very easy for your optometrist and optician to understand it, you may want to understand what you’re reading yourself. The expert optometrists at Hakim Optical will go over your prescription with you, but in case you forget, we have a handy guide on how to read your contact lens prescription yourself.
How to read your contact lens prescription
To Wear Glasses Or Contacts
Committing to wearing glasses every single day can be daunting to some and exciting to others. Choosing between wearing contacts or glasses every day to ensure proper eyesight often just comes down to a personal preference. Some people feel as though their glasses help them express their fashion and personality, and wear them to match different outfits, others don’t like the feeling of glasses on their face and opt for contact lenses instead.
The choice between glasses and contact lenses is entirely up to you, but if you need some help deciding.
The Dangers Of Misusing Contacts
Many people who first wear contact lenses neglect to understand that they’re prescribed medical devices and they must be treated as such. Unfortunately, there are many ways in which one can misuse or mistreat their contact lenses resulting in semi or permanent eye damage or infection. Ensuring proper use and care of eye contacts will ensure your health and safety.
The dangers of misusing contacts
Contact Lens Hygiene Tips
If you’re wearing contact lenses for the first time, the most important thing to remember is to be vigilant in upholding the best hygiene practices possible. From washing your hands before and after putting in your contacts to using fresh contact solution, proper contact lens hygiene and etiquette preserves your health, safety, and comfort.
Contact lens hygiene tips
Contact Lens Safety Tips
Did you know that there’s a proper way to put in your contact lenses to ensure your safety and comfort? It’s true! There are a few steps you can take to properly put your contact lenses beginning with washing your hands. Before wearing contact lenses for the first time, make sure you read our contact lens safety guide thoroughly.
How to properly put in your contact lenses
The Best Brand Of Contact Lens
When it comes to contact lenses, not all brands are created equal. Fortunately, at Hakim Optical, we only carry the best brands. While there are different options depending on your individual needs including nightwear, coloured, and day-to-day lenses. The team at Hakim Optical will be happy to help you find the right brand and style of contact lenses for your lifestyle.
Find the right contact lens brand for you
Tips For Adding Contact Lenses To Your Routine
When wearing contact lenses for the first time, it can be a bit jarring to get used to them. When you already have a set routine, it can be difficult to incorporate a new health regiment. There are many things that you can do to help to normalize the use of contact lenses in your daily routine. Take a look at our guide for new contact lens wearers.
Tips for adding contact lenses to your routine
Contact Lens FAQs
If you ever have any questions about contact lens use and care, don’t hesitate to call or drop by your local Hakim Optical to ask one of our expert team members. However, we do have some answers to our most commonly asked questions surrounding contact lenses and their care.
Check out our expert’s answers to the most commonly asked contact lens questions
Progressive Multi-Focal Lenses
Progressive multifocal lenses offer multifocal power covering near-to-distance vision through progressional power change, instead of the traditional two (bifocal) to three (trifocal) distinct prescriptions within one lens that your parents or grandparents wore before. The benefits of wearing progressive multi-focal lenses include:
- The simplicity of only carrying one pair of glasses
- Seamless transition between near and distant vision
- Affordable and low costs
Are progressive multi-focal lenses right for you?
Coloured Contacts
While coloured contact lenses sold by costume stores can be damaging to the eyes, this doesn’t mean that there’s no way to enjoy changing your eyes’ colour safely. In fact, coloured contact lenses can be purchased through Hakim Optical, and they can even fit your prescription. This means that you can enjoy a new eye colour for a costume (or every day use) while still seeing clearly and not risking damage to your eyes.