Why is the Popularity of Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses Growing?

Silicone hydrogel contact lenses have been around for a while now, but more and more often, eye care professionals are making a strong recommendation that patients select this specific lens material. Here’s why.

What Is Silicone Hydrogel?

Ever since soft contact lenses were first developed, researchers sought to create materials that would increase the oxygen permeability to allow for longer hours of wear and help promote better eye health.

If you’re not sure whether your lenses are made of silicone hydrogel, be sure to ask your eye care professional.

What Eye Care Providers Think About Silicone Hydrogel

Research indicates that 77% of all contact lens fits use silicone hydrogel materials.1 Among patients who wear frequent replacement contact lenses that percentage is even higher—82% of frequent replacement contact lenses fit are silicone hydrogel materials.

The reason for this is simple: our bodies rely on oxygen, and the eyes are no exception. Eye care professionals prefer silicone hydrogel over regular hydrogel because they want patients to wear contact lenses that can deliver more oxygen to the cornea than hydrogel contact lenses can.

Patients benefit from a material that copes well with the long hours of wear that a busy lifestyle may demand. In fact, eye care professionals say that 70% of the time, the reason they suggest a switch to silicone hydrogel is because patients had issues with their previous lenses.

Even if you wear a daily disposable lens, material matters. Nearly nine in ten eye care providers agree, people who wear 1 day lenses should be in a silicone hydrogel material.

In short, silicone hydrogels are highly breathable and healthy1 soft contact lens materials, with a high oxygen transmissibility that helps keep eyes white and bright.