For most people, soft, flexible contact lenses can provide clear vision, but for people with more complex vision needs, different types of lenses are needed. Learn what specialty lenses are available, and when they’re typically prescribed.
Specialty contact lenses are for people whose vision can’t be fully corrected with standard soft lenses or glasses
Gas permeable (GP) contact lenses are firm lenses that help provide sharp vision, especially for those with irregular corneas
Hybrid lenses combine features of hard and soft lenses to offer clear vision with improved comfort
Scleral lenses are gas permeable lenses that are large enough that they mostly rest on the white of the eye rather than the cornea
Proper care and cleaning with specific solutions is essential to keeping specialty lenses safe and effective for your eyes.
An eye doctor will recommend a specialty lens when a patient's vision cannot be optimized with more typical options like soft contact lenses. This could include those with:
Before soft contact lenses became widely available,people wore lenses made from materials like glass and later a hard plastic called polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Today, those older hard lenses aren’t widely used, but a modern version, called Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) lenses—sometimes shortened to “GP”—are still used today in specific cases. As their name suggests, RGP lenses are made from a firm, durable plastic that allows oxygen to pass directly through to the eye. This oxygen flow is very important for keeping your cornea healthy. Because they are firm, RGP lenses are excellent at correcting vision problems like severe astigmatism or Keratoconus.
PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
May provide clearer vision than soft contact lenses | May take longer to get used to than soft contact lenses |
Great for vision issues involving irregular cornea shapes | Require strict cleaning and care |
Do not need to be replaced as often as daily disposables or other reusable soft contact lenses | Higher initial cost |
What if you could combine the sharp vision of a rigid lens with the comfort of a soft lens? That is the idea behind a hybrid contact lens. As the name suggests, hybrid lenses have a rigid center to help provide clear vision with a soft outer ring to help with lens fit and comfort.
PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
“Best of both worlds” approach providing comfort and clarity benefits | May take longer to get used to than soft contact lenses |
Great for vision issues involving irregular cornea shapes | Require strict cleaning and care |
Limited options and fewer eye doctors who fit them compared to more common lens types |
Another type of specialty lens is the scleral lens. The name scleral comes from the word “sclera,” which is the official name for the white part of your eye. Unlike typical soft contact lenses, these contact lenses are wide enough to cover both the cornea and part of the whites of your eyes. In fact, they don’t actually touch your corneas like soft contact lenses do. Instead, they “hover” over your corneas to rest on the whites of your eyes.
PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
Good for those with corneal diseases, eye surface problems like dry eye, and corneal damage. | May take longer to get used to than soft contact lenses. |
Ability to correct more severe refractive errors. | Require strict cleaning and care. |
Designed to hold saline or medicated solutions against your cornea. | Higher initial cost. |
With proper care, specialty lenses like RGP lenses canlast much longer than your typical soft contact lens—often 6 months or more (but always defer to your eye doctor’s instructions). Since they’re made from different materials than soft lenses, they need different cleaning and disinfecting solutions. Your eye doctor will recommend a specific care system, which usually involves a daily cleaner and a conditioning or storage solution. Never use solutions designed for soft lenses on RGP lenses unless the product explicitly states it is safe for both. Using the wrong solution can damage your lenses or harm your eyes.
You may be wondering why eye doctors may recommend one lens over another. They each have their own benefits to consider, like cost, comfort, and flexibility.
Benefits of soft contacts:
Benefits of specialty lenses:
Curious what your contact lens options are? Get in touch with your eye doctor for a contact lens fitting exam. They’ll perform a comprehensive exam and check whether or not contacts make sense for your eyes and your lifestyle.
Sign up for contact lens recommendations, connect with a contact lens specialist, watch helpful how-to videos, browse FAQs, and more.
The information provided on this page and across the entire Acuvue.com experience is designed to offer educational insights into eye health, referencing expert advice from reputable medical and government organizations, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Optometric Association and the National Eye Institute. While we research, report, and review the content on Acuvue.com and its extended social media to deliver accurate and up-to-date vision, vision care, and vision correction information, we do not make any assurances, and content accessed on or through Acuvue.com and its extended social media is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment of any eye conditions or health issues. This brings us to our #1 eye health tip: Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalized medical guidance and care.
