Perhaps many will be surprised to learn that contact lenses were invented by none other than Leonardo da Vinci, back in 1508 describing a lens that, when installed on a person’s eyeball , was supposed to correct vision by changing the optical properties of the eye.
Until the 40s of the last century, almost all lenses were made of rather thick glass, and their diameter was 20-30 mm (they covered the entire surface of the eyeball). Such lenses could not be worn for more than several hours, as this caused swelling of the cornea and blurred vision, and after the lens was removed from the eye, it took more than one day to restore the cornea. Naturally, such a concept as a colored lens was unknown to anyone at that time.
In 1947, the first modern-style contact lens appeared, made of special plastic, the creation of which scientists have worked for more than a year.
And only in the middle of the 20th century, a polymer hydrogel was developed, and to this day is the basis of most modern materials from which transparent, as well as all kinds of colored contact lenses are made. This flexible and soft material has unique properties: it transmits oxygen and absorbs water.
Currently, there are more than 150 types of various materials intended for the manufacture of various types of contact lenses, and every day their quality is being improved.
In the production of such materials, their strength, percentage of water content, oxygen permeability, biocompatibility, refractive index and other indicators are taken into account.
Today, using various types of contact lenses, you can not only correct your vision without glasses, but even change the color of your eyes, but you can do both at the same time.
How to choose the right lens without compromising eye health?
Colored lenses with diopters have been around for over 30 years. It is not only beautiful, but also very convenient. If initially they were available only to movie stars, today anyone can easily change the natural color of the eyes when he wants to. Each color lens contains a picture or a tint color that can enhance the personal natural color of the human eye.
However, before deciding to purchase colored lenses, you should familiarize yourself with the rules for caring for them. Any color lens requires the same careful care and precautions for use as simple corrective lenses.
In order for the color lens not to cause discomfort in the eye, you need to carefully choose the manufacturer and care products.
Each color lens should be very thoroughly washed and cleaned. However, do not forget that to care for colored lenses, special solutions are required that do not scratch or damage the paint. Information on how to care for lenses of a particular brand can always be obtained in the optics salon, where you plan to purchase lenses. Never clean colored lenses with solutions containing hydrogen peroxide - they become dull from this.
And most importantly: before you buy colored lenses, you must definitely go through an examination with an ophthalmologist. Studies show that with frequent use of colored lenses, visual acuity and contrast sensitivity of the eyes may decrease.