Where do you guys get your contact lenses from? I’ve worn glasses for years and I’m thinking about getting contacts now but was wondering if MAC students receive a discount for this.

How was it like wearing contacts for the first time? I've been hearing about feeling burning sensation in the eyes alot
Any recommendations?

Where do you guys get your contact lenses from?

an eye doctor

I suggest getting samples from local optical stores and finding out what works for you. When you are ready and have narrowed down the brand that works for you I suggest ordering large amounts online from clearlycontacts.ca

Personally, I have always worn Acuvue lenses.

i use Bausch&Lomb daily disposable SofLens and i find them very comfortable and easy to wear! since they're the daily disposable ones i don't have to worry about losing them either. i've been wearing contacts for a year now and initially it will take you time to get them in but you'll get used to it. just don't wear them for too long and you should be fine.

Originally Posted by pavlov

I suggest getting samples from local optical stores and finding out what works for you. When you are ready and have narrowed down the brand that works for you I suggest ordering large amounts online from clearlycontacts.ca

Personally, I have always worn Acuvue lenses.

Do you wear them on daily basis? i'm planning on wearing them for special ocassions only

Originally Posted by sm18

i use Bausch&Lomb daily disposable SofLens and i find them very comfortable and easy to wear! since they're the daily disposable ones i don't have to worry about losing them either. i've been wearing contacts for a year now and initially it will take you time to get them in but you'll get used to it. just don't wear them for too long and you should be fine.

how long is "too long"?
i thought disposable ones last all day (like 14-15 hours atleast)

thanks for the info

i use acuvue and ive been wearing contacts for almost 6 years now. i always get the bi-weekly lenses.

as mentioned earlier, try samples from local optical stores and see what brand works for you. this is important because not all brands will feel comfortable.

if you plan on wearing them for special occasions only, i suggest getting dailies, otherwise bi-weekly or monthlys work best.

Don't listen to these people telling you to try samples from stores.

First you should see an optometrist and get the right prescription, and contact prescription differ from glasses. Then they'll recommend which kinds best fit your eyes. (For me, because I had a greater curve, most contacts won't work that well for me, which is why I use Proclear.)

Then the doctor will inevitably try to sell you contacts, which are gonna be pricey, so you ask for the prescription if they haven't already given you a copy. I used Google Shopping to pick out which online retailers carried my brand for the lowest price. If you're worried about the legitimacy of those sites, just take the price and go to ClearlyContacts (well-known Canadian retailer with Coastal as their US counterpart) for a price match. They'll make sure (and you can ask them for your own reference) the site their matching is legit. Last I checked, they even give you a 5% discount after the match. For me, WebEyeCare had the lowest prices. Instead of paying $120-$150, I paid $60 for 6 pairs of monthly lenses.

Note that not everyone can get daily lenses, it depends on your eyes and availability. Given my curvature and astigmatism, there are no dailies for me to use. :( But monthlies are cheaper than dailies anyway. If you're gonna get anything besides dailies, I recommend ClearCare for your cleaning solution. Cheapest at Costco. Also I typically wear my lenses for 12-16 hours a day. You might want to keep eye drops handy, making sure that they are for contact lenses, not regular eyeballs.

Originally Posted by escape

Do you wear them on daily basis? i'm planning on wearing them for special ocassions only

Yes, just saw this, was going to say that, if you're in science (as your profile states), be careful b/c some labs don't allow contacts...

Originally Posted by escape

how long is "too long"?
i thought disposable ones last all day (like 14-15 hours atleast)

thanks for the info

you're welcome! and yeah they can last for upto 14-15 hours but i personally feel like letting my eyes breathe after 9 hours cuz i feel like they start getting dry but maybe that's just me!

Originally Posted by escape

Do you wear them on daily basis? i'm planning on wearing them for special ocassions only

I have used both bi-weeklies and dailies. Currently, I use dailies as they are more convenient.

Originally Posted by Desda

Don't listen to these people telling you to try samples from stores.

First you should see an optometrist and get the right prescription, and contact prescription differ from glasses. Then they'll recommend which kinds best fit your eyes. (For me, because I had a greater curve, most contacts won't work that well for me, which is why I use Proclear.)

Then the doctor will inevitably try to sell you contacts, which are gonna be pricey, so you ask for the prescription if they haven't already given you a copy. I used Google Shopping to pick out which online retailers carried my brand for the lowest price. If you're worried about the legitimacy of those sites, just take the price and go to ClearlyContacts (well-known Canadian retailer with Coastal as their US counterpart) for a price match. They'll make sure (and you can ask them for your own reference) the site their matching is legit. Last I checked, they even give you a 5% discount after the match. For me, WebEyeCare had the lowest prices. Instead of paying $120-$150, I paid $60 for 6 pairs of monthly lenses.

Note that not everyone can get daily lenses, it depends on your eyes and availability. Given my curvature and astigmatism, there are no dailies for me to use. :( But monthlies are cheaper than dailies anyway. If you're gonna get anything besides dailies, I recommend ClearCare for your cleaning solution. Cheapest at Costco. Also I typically wear my lenses for 12-16 hours a day. You might want to keep eye drops handy, making sure that they are for contact lenses, not regular eyeballs.

I got my eyes checked like a month back, also got new pair of glasses. I was thinking about going with pearl vision for contact lenses but apparently they charge extra (one time fee) to check eyes/pupil dimensions etc and then new set of contacts are given.

so do dailies expire say if you don't use them within a week span or something?

i don't think they expire cuz i buy a whole year's supply altogether, which by the way i got for cheaper than if i had gotten only a few months' supply at once

Originally Posted by sm18

i don't think they expire cuz i buy a whole year's supply altogether, which by the way i got for cheaper than if i had gotten only a few months' supply at once

They do expire, there's an expiration date on the package but it's typically 4 years unless you get them from some sketchy source.

the first time you wear contacts you need to have your eye doctor put them in for you.