If you’ve never worn contact lenses before, you might be fooled into thinking that all lenses are the same. However, you have quite a few choices to make the first time you are fitted. Here are some guidelines to help you know ahead of time what to look for when selecting contact lenses.

Hard or Soft?

One of the first decisions you will have to make is whether you want to be fitted with hard or soft (also known as gas permeable) lenses. Hard lenses are more durable and resist buildup of debris. They can also provide you with sharper, clearer vision. However, soft contact lenses tend to be more comfortable and have a lower up-front cost.

Disposable or Regular?

You can opt to purchase a single pair of lenses, or a set of disposable lenses, which are discarded after a few days or weeks of use. Disposable contact lenses are easier to use, since you don’t have to worry about cleaning or sterilizing them as often, and losing a single contact is much less of a bother. However, they are far more expensive than regular lenses.

Daily Removal or Extended Wear?

Most contact lenses should be removed after eight to ten hours of use. However, extended wear lenses can be left in overnight, and some special types are even approved to remain in the eyes for up to thirty days.

Daily removal lenses are safer and have less risk of infection or complications of dry eyes, but extended wear lenses allow you to see well all day and all night. They also eliminate most of the bother of removing and inserting the lenses.

Bifocal, or Monovision?

If you have trouble focusing on objects at different distances, you can consider bifocal or monovision (gradient focus) lenses. Bifocal lenses are useful if you suffer from both near and far sightedness. Monovision lenses can treat the same problem however one lens is used to treat far sightedness and the other lens is used to treat near sightedness.

Whichever lens you decide to choose ensure that you discuss it in length with your eye practitioner to ensure that you know all the facts before you buy.

Benni Jenyfari is a freelance writer for http://www.eyecontactguide.com  a consumer resource for contact lenses and vision related issues.