# Rigid Gas Permeable Lenses

Rigid gas permeable lenses are made from firm oxygen transmitting plastic. They hold their shape on the eye, which corrects irregularity that soft lenses cannot, and they deliver the sharpest optical quality of any lens type.

Rigid lenses have a reputation problem left over from the hard lenses of decades ago, which transmitted almost no oxygen and were genuinely uncomfortable. Modern gas permeable materials are a different proposition entirely, transmitting more oxygen than most soft lenses.

What they offer optically is unmatched. Because the lens holds its own shape rather than draping over the eye, the tear layer beneath it fills in surface irregularities. For anyone with an irregular cornea, that produces vision no soft lens can reach.

The trade is adaptation. Rigid lenses are felt initially and take one to two weeks of consistent wear before the eyelid stops registering the edge. Wearers who push through that period generally stay with them for years, and the lenses themselves last far longer than soft ones.

## What this does not do

- Adaptation takes one to two weeks of consistent daily wear.
- They can dislodge more readily in contact sport than soft lenses.
- Dust and debris under the lens is more noticeable than with a soft lens.


## Questions and answers
**Are they uncomfortable?**

They are felt at first, and that awareness fades with consistent wear over one to two weeks. Inconsistent wear restarts adaptation each time, which is why patients who wear them daily do far better than occasional wearers.

**Why choose rigid over soft?**

Sharper vision, higher oxygen transmission, correction of irregularity that soft lenses cannot achieve, longer lens life, and no protein deposit build up.

**How long do they last?**

Typically a year or more with good care, compared with a month for a monthly soft lens. Condition is assessed at each review.

**Can they correct keratoconus?**

Yes, and rigid designs are a mainstay of keratoconus correction. For more advanced cases scleral lenses generally do better, because they vault the cornea entirely.

## Related

- https://eyedoctorphoenixaz.com/contact-lenses/scleral-lenses
- https://eyedoctorphoenixaz.com/specialty-eye-care/keratoconus
- https://eyedoctorphoenixaz.com/contact-lenses/hybrid-contact-lenses

---## About this practice
Arizona's Vision Eye Care Center, 15215 S 48th St Ste 180, Phoenix, AZ 85044.
Phone (480) 706-3937. Monday to Thursday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
Independent optometry practice, founded 1994. One location. Does not perform refractive or cataract surgery.
This site publishes no star rating and no review count, because the figures across the practice's own properties contradict one another and cannot be verified.
This page is general information, not medical advice.