I hear and see a lot of people talking and asking questions about so-called cheap contact lenses, so I thought I would write a few words on the subject.
When I hear the word “cheap”, I usually think of items with less than acceptable quality. So do you need to be concerned with cheap contacts? In other words, can wearing cheap contacts ruin your eyes?
Keep in mind that any contact lens sold in the United States (I am not familiar with other countries policies) must first meet FDA guidelines before it can be sold. So in this sense, you are guaranteed at least a minimal level of safety right at the start.
The idea of cheap contact lenses lens also has the implication that price is the only indicator of quality or effectiveness when dealing with contacts. Rest assured that this in generally not the case. Just because a lens is considered cheap does not mean that it yields any less ability to correct your vision. What I have told my patients in the past is that the only “bad” contact is the contact that doesn’t fit properly on your eye.
The bottom line is that receiving a proper exam and contact lens fitting must be the first step in wearing contacts. Of course, subsequent follow up care is also very important and should not be overlooked. This is especially true if your primary means of correcting your vision is with contacts.
How cheap contact lenses are viewed is somewhat similar, at least in part, to how discount contact lenses are viewed. For further discussion on this topic, see my article “Discount Contact Lenses”.