CONTACT LENSES
With more than 40 years of contact lens fitting experience, and unlike some large multiple optical practices, being independent means Paul Whiteman Optometrists can source contact lenses from all suppliers across the UK. We have a proven success record even with people who have been told that they can’t wear lenses.
Enjoy the freedom of contact lenses
Today, more than three million people in the UK enjoy the clear, natural and unobstructed vision offered by contact lenses which don’t fog up or get splashed with rain as glasses sometimes can.
New lens designs and materials now make contact lenses easier and more comfortable to wear than ever before. They offer freedom from wearing glasses in daily life, when playing a sport, or for that important social occasion and can bring particular benefits for individuals with stronger vision correction requirements.
We can supply contact lenses for all purposes ranging from lenses you can wear every day or for occasional use such as when playing sports, through to extended wear lenses designed to be slept in for prolonged periods and eliminating the need for regular daily maintenance.
See better & enjoy your sport better
Contact lenses give sports enthusiasts real benefits. They provide a wider field of vision than glasses, stay secure during movement, and won’t fog up in different weather conditions.
Whether it’s golf, tennis, clay pigeon shooting or cycling, contact lenses offer clear, natural vision and the freedom to perform at your best. They also allow you to wear protective eyewear or sunglasses comfortably, reduce the risk of spectacles slipping or breaking during activity, and give sharper depth perception — helping with accuracy and performance. For active people, contact lenses mean greater comfort, confidence and freedom while enjoying the sports they love.
The latest innovations in contact lens technology -
not all contact lenses are the same!
Contact lens technology has advanced enormously in the last five years. There are a multitude of different lenses types that are more comfortable to wear than ever before. Leading contact lens manufacturers are delivering comfort, clarity and choice—no matter your age or the type of vision you have.
Coopervision
Their lenses feature Aquaform® and PC Technology™ to lock in moisture and deliver high oxygen flow for all-day comfort. Innovative optics like Balanced Progressive® for presbyopia, Optimised Toric Geometry™ for astigmatism, and ActivControl® for slowing childhood myopia (reducing progression by ~59%) cover all age groups and prescription needs.
Johnson & Johnson Vision (ACUVUE®)
EYE-INSPIRED™ innovations offer ultra-thin, contour-fitting lenses with moisture-infused materials (PVP) for lasting hydration, built-in UV protection, and specialised designs for presbyopia (pupil-optimised multifocals) and astigmatism (eyelid-stabilised technology) Johnson & Johnson Vision is also pioneering therapeutic contact lenses to help slow myopia in children through a global collaboration with Menicon Clear Vision For You.
Alcon
With Water-Gradient technology allow DAILIES TOTAL 1® lenses to remain incredibly comfortable throughout the day—they are available in single vision, astigmatism correcting toric and multifocal versions.
Their Blink-Activated Moisture in DAILIES AquaComfort Plus® provides immediate hydration with every blink, while monthly options like AIR OPTIX® plus HydraGlyde Multifocal use SmartShield® and HydraGlyde® to ensure dependable comfort and vision at all distances.
Myopia management with contact lenses
Myopia management refers to a range of clinical methods and interventions designed to slow the progression of myopia (short-sightedness) in children and adolescents.
While myopia typically starts to develop between the ages of 7 and 13, it can be present and diagnosed in much younger children.
Developing a management plan involves a comprehensive eye examination to assess a child's vision and determine the most appropriate myopia control method based on their specific needs (see myopia management for further information).
Myopia management contact lenses offer the most effective method of controlling the development of myopia and often form part of a complete myopia management regime.
We are able to offer a number of myopia management lenses including:- Coopervision’s MiSight, Mark’ennovy’s Mylo and Safilens’ Delivery Tyro.
If you would like to arrange a consultation to consider myopia management please BOOK an appointment below or telephone us on 01737 223202.
“I am often asked by patients, ‘Am I suitable to wear contact lenses?’ Some want to wear them all of the time, others just want to wear them socially or for sports and other activities. Essentially, they want to be free of the restrictions of spectacles. My reply is always the same, ‘Why not try them and find out for yourself ?”
Can I ‘Try Before I Buy’ contact lenses?
We offer all potential contact lens wearers the chance to try lenses before committing, to see how well your eyes tolerate them and how comfortable they feel.
You can choose from two options for tolerance trial:
Quick Try-In – At the end of your eye examination, your optometrist can insert a pair of trial lenses for around 10 minutes. These may not match your exact prescription but will give you a good idea of initial comfort and vision.
There will be no charge for a Quick Try-In.
Full Tolerance Trial – This includes teaching you how to insert and remove the lenses safely, then providing several pairs to take home. Over a few days, you’ll be able to assess comfort, vision and convenience in real life. You’ll then return for a follow-up appointment, where your optometrist can adjust or refine your lenses to ensure the best vision, comfort and long-term eye health.
There will be a charge for a full tolerance trial.
How do I arrange to try contact lenses?
Trying contact lenses is really very easy. We’ll guide you through the process and explain everything as we do it.
The first thing you need to do is to book an appointment with one of our optometrists to try contact lenses, we call it a tolerance trial. You can do that by calling 01737 223202 or by booking a Full Tolerance Trial appointment via BOOK AN APPOINTMENT below.
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Initially, you should book a ‘Tolerance trial’ appointment with our reception staff.
During this appointment your eyes will be tested to determine the strength of lenses you will need for clear vision, also the health of your eyes will be examined. Then, specific measurements of the shape, size and contour of your eyes will be made.
Based on this information, our optometrist will be able to advise you about the most suitable type of contact lenses for your individual requirements.
Appropriate contact lenses will normally be taken from our large stock of trial lenses (for more complicated prescriptions we may have to order them from a manufacturer) and the optometrist will put them on your eyes for you.
You will then be taught how to insert and remove the lenses and allowed to practice before taking them home.
If required, you will be given lens care solutions and a storage case.
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Before leaving our practice you will be given sufficient contact lenses to allow you to try them for 10 days.
When you leave our practice we will make a ‘follow-up’ fitting appointment to check how the lenses have worked during the trial. You will be asked to pay for your Tolerance Trial appointment, the fee for which covers the cost of your eye examination, contact lens fitting, contact lens handling tuition, follow-up fitting appointments (until the process of fitting has been completed)
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During the follow-up appointment modifications to the type, power or fit of the lenses may be made.
You will then be asked to continue with the trial for a few days longer wearing the modified contact lens specification.
Once the process of fitting has been completed and you and your optometrist are happy that your lenses allow you to see satisfactorily then you will be informed of the final contact lenses specification and offered the opportunity to buy an initial set of lenses. This will usually be enough lenses to last 3 or 6 months. You will be offered the opportunity to purchase the lenses using a monthly Direct Debit scheme, thereby taking advantage of our 5* Aftercare service (see below for details), or by cash on a Pay-As-You-Go basis.
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Yes, it’s very easy to pay for both the contact lenses and your 5* Aftercare Scheme in monthly instalments which allows you to budget for your lens wear whilst taking advantage all the benefits including regular check-ups, lens home delivery, discount on spectacles and sunglasses and free lens prescription ungrades..
5* Contact Lens Aftercare Service
Our 5★ Aftercare Service is available to all new and long-term contact lens wearers through our Contactacare Scheme, making your eye care more affordable with convenient monthly Direct Debit payments. Subscribing ensures you enjoy the very best from your contact lenses with complete peace of mind.
Key Benefits
Regular aftercare appointments and check-ups -to monitor your eye health and keep your prescriptions up to date.
Reliable regular lens supply with convenient home delivery means you never run out of lenses.
Priority emergency appointments and out-of-hours telephone advice for urgent problems.
Ongoing expert support from our experienced optometrists and dispensing opticians.
Exclusive discounts - 10% off spectacles, sunglasses (either with or without prescription lenses), contact lens cleaning & care solutions and accessories.
Option to spread the cost of new spectacles over 6 months.
Reduced-cost contact lenses - compared with cash/ Pay-As-You-Go method.
Enjoy safe, hassle-free contact lens wear with the reassurance of expert care whenever you need it.
What are the benefits of disposable contact lenses?
Disposable contact lenses are one of the easiest ways to enjoy clear, comfortable vision without glasses.
Convenient & hygienic – different models of lenses can be replaced either daily, weekly, or monthly.
Little or no cleaning required – Depending on frequency of lens replacement simple cleaning and disinfection systems mean less fuss and bother first thing in the morning and at bedtime.
No cleaning required - for 1 day wear contact lenses.
Healthier eyes – regular replacement reduces the risk of irritation and eye infections.
Superior comfort – designed for long days, busy schedules, and active lifestyles.
Flexible use – perfect for everyday wear or occasional use, such as holidays and social events.
Always have spare contact lenses – should you lose or damage a lens.
Great for sport & activity – comfortable, stable vision without the worry of glasses.
Wide prescription range – available for astigmatism, presbyopia (multifocals), and myopia control in children.
Suitable for all ages – from children to older adults, disposables offer a safe, versatile option.
Up to date prescription – disposable contacts offer the opportunity of always wearing an up to date contact lens prescription following regular check-ups.
Regular lens checkups – can be made part of an aftercare regime and can be paid, if required, as part of our 5* Aftercare Service where an 'all inclusive' monthly fee is paid by Direct Debit which spreads the costs evenly and allows you to budget for your of contact lenses.
What types of contact lenses are available other than disposables?
Despite all the benefits of disposable contact lenses we realise some patients require to be fitted with alternative types of lenses. We are therefore able to fit and maintain the following types of lenses:-
Gas Permeable rigid contact lenses (single vision, toric, bifocal) often provide a more economical solution than disposable contact lenses and are the lens of choice for people with keratoconus (conical cornea) or any other form of corneal irregularity.
Although not fitted often, traditional permanent soft contact lenses (single vision, toric, bifocal, coloured) are still available for specialist needs.
Extended wear contact lenses. These lenses can be slept in for extended periods of time usually 7-30 days. They are available in single vision, astigmatism and multifocal designs.
Please ask one of our practitioners if you have further questions about alternative contact lens types that we fit and supply.
FAQs - Contact lenses
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Yes, if you just want a Quick Try-In – At the end of your eye test, your optometrist can fit a pair of trial lenses for about 10 minutes, so you can experience how they feel. The lenses may not be your exact prescription but they will give you an idea of whether it’s worth having a full Tolerance Trial later.
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Major advances in contact lens design mean that, nowadays, almost anyone can wear contact lenses successfully. People of all ages can be fitted, although special care is needed for the very young and elderly.
Children as young as 8 can successfully wear contact lenses. Whether they want to wear them constantly or just for sport there are modern contact lenses to suit their needs. They can improve how young people feel about their appearance and increase their confidence amongst their friends and peers.
So, whether you are 8 or 80, there is a contact lens for you!
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Modern disposable soft contact lenses are extremely thin and are manufactured from materials that allow oxygen to pass through them and reach the eyes surface. Most people find them very comfortable and easy to wear - it doesn’t take long before it can feel like you’re wearing nothing at all in your eye.
To help ensure you enjoy maximum comfort, many lens types such as J&J’s ACUVUE 1 Day Oasys Max™, Alcon’s DAILIES TOTAL 1® use patented wetting technologies to give the wearer a smooth, silky feel that will help keep their eyes moist and comfortable all day long.
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Many people are afraid to touch their eyes when they start wearing contact lenses. We will let you try putting contact lenses into your eyes when you come to have your Tolerance Trial. Nearly all new contact lens wearers find they overcome any concerns about ‘touching’ their eyes once they have appreciated the benefits and freedom from spectacles that contact lenses allow.
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Our normal adult eye examination includes a full & comprehensive assessment of your vision, oculomotor balance & eye health. It includes visual field screening, intraocular pressure (IOP) check & optical coherence tomography (OCT).
Our normal eye examination for under 16yrs & under 29yrs are the same as our adult examination excluding an IOP check & OCT.
Adult eye examination from £95.00
Under 16yrs eye examination £65.00
Under 29yrs eye examination £95.00
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Common eyesight defects – such as short-sightedness and long-sightedness – are easily corrected with contact lenses, but now conditions such as astigmatism can also be treated very effectively with so-called ‘toric’ contact lenses.
In the past, people with astigmatism – a condition in which the eye is irregularly shaped causing distorted vision – were restricted to wearing glasses, but today’s toric contact lenses can be custom made for each individual to provide clear vision.
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Presbyopia is the term used to refer to the ageing of the eye’s crystalline lens which progressively affects everyone over the age of about 40.
Presbyopia makes it difficult to shift focus between near and distant objects. This condition can be corrected with bifocal or multifocal contact lenses which provide clear distance and near vision. J&J’s new ACUVUE Oasys for Presbyopia®and Cibavision’s AIR OPTIX™multifocal lenses are two examples of the latest multifocal contact lenses designed for correcting presbyopia.
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Most contact lenses are not suitable to be worn whilst you are asleep as they can cause damage to the front of the eye called the cornea.
Some contact lenses such as ACUVUE Oasys™ have been made with a special material which can be worn safely while you sleep. They are designed to be worn for six nights seven days consecutively. Not all patients eyes are suitable to sleep in contact lenses. However, our optometrist will be able to advise you and arrange a tolerance trial if appropriate.
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Lenses are great for sports. They give you perfectly clear eyesight with no risk, like your glasses, of fogging up, falling off or breaking. What’s more, lenses give your eyesight optimum peripheral vision. Wearing glasses can be a big inconvenience when you need to use goggles or a protective mask, contact lenses don’t get in the way and let you get on with whatever you are doing.
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No. The chances of losing a properly fitting contact lens from the eye is highly unlikely and you would probably have to rub your eyes very vigorously to dislodge it. With the advent of disposable contact lenses, in particular, daily or 1 per day lenses it is now possible to carry spare lenses with you to insert if you were unfortunate enough to lose a lens.
Book A Contact Lens Tolerance Trial Appointment
If you would like to make an appointment to try contact lenses please follow the instructions below to use our call-back appointment booking service.
If you are unsure what type of consultation you need, or if you don’t like filling in forms, please telephone our reception staff on 01737 223202 who will help you to book the correct appointment.
HOW TO BOOK YOUR CONTACT LENS TOLERANCE TRIAL APPOINTMENT
Click ‘BOOK’
Click ‘Contact Lens Tolerance Trial/Lens Refitting’
Choose ‘I Would Like A Full Contact Lens Tolerance Trial’.
(Click above to book an appointment)