Things You Should Know About Contact Lens Materials

Soft Contact Lenses

Soft contact lenses are made with materials such as hydrophilic plastics, which is a unique type of water-absorbing plastic. Such a material is known to stay soft and moist when it is absorbing an adequate amount of water. When such lenses get dried out, the plastic does not get enough water, because of which the material becomes brittle and prone to tearing.
Therefore, till the time such contact lens gets enough moisture inside your eyes or are properly dipped in the solution when not in use, the plastic stays soft and pliable. However, when your eyes get dry, you may start feeling uncomfortable wearing such lenses for long. That is why soft contact lenses are also categorized based on the amount of water they contain.

Soft Contact Lenses Designed To Provide More Oxygen To The Eyes

Since not all soft contact lenses provide enough oxygen to the cornea, there are special contact lenses designed to serve the purpose. Such types of contact lenses are made of a material called 'silicone hydrogel' that combines silicone with water-absorbing plastic used in soft hydrogel lenses. The benefit of adding silicone to the hydrogel plastic is that these contact lenses have high oxygen permeability and provide improved wettability and comfort compared to hydrogel contact lenses. 
Research suggests that unlike conventional hydrogel materials in which the oxygen permeability is limited by the water content of the contact lenses, oxygen transmissibility in silicone hydrogel lenses does not depend on water content alone. In other words, the oxygen permeability of silicone hydrogel material can be enhanced without increasing the water content of the contact lenses^1,2

Hybrid Contact Lenses

Though hybrid eye contact lenses are slightly rare, they do exist. Such lenses combine the materials used in the case of RGP and soft lenses. Before you buy contact lenses, you should know that these lenses are made of a combination of materials such as acrylate-silicone-fluorine, forming the optical center of the contact lenses. Such a composition helps in giving the lens wearer a more sharpened central vision, and the water-absorbing hydrogel material around the edges provides increased comfort.
As a result, these hybrid type lenses are suitable for people who need multi-focal lenses (i.e., bifocal or progressive lenses). Hybrid lenses are also used for treating irregular astigmatism.

HyperGel Contact Lenses

This is the latest innovation after Hydrogel and Silicone hydrogel Materials. HyperGel material matches the corneal water content found naturally in the eye ³ and supports oxygen transmission needs so that you can wear HyperGel contact lenses daily.
Moreover, HyperGel contact lenses mimic the lipid layer of the tear film and do not get dehydrated throughout the day. Thus, HyperGel contact lenses are the best lens for eyes available today.

Choose The Best For Your Eyes

Your eyes deserve the best care; after all, they help you see the world around. That is why you need to choose the best lens for eyes so that you can enjoy a clear and comfortable vision all the time.
When you plan to buy contact lenses, explore Bausch+Lomb’s range that includes all kinds of eye contact lenses that offer you both comfort and right vision. Check out everything from soft lenses to colored contact lenses and then buy the best contact lenses that align best with your eye care needs as per your eye care professional's recommendation.

Source:
https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/contact-lenses/types-contact-lenses
[1] http://www.siliconehydrogels.org/pdf_old/SiliconeHydrogels_11_99.pdf
[2] https://www.jnjvisioncare.co.uk/sites/default/files/public/uk/tvci/2060_tvci_uk_sih_review_pt1.pdf
[3] https://www.clspectrum.com/content//bl/biotrue/1/BL_Biotrue_Lens.pdf