My oldest son needs glasses/contacts..... Well he wants to get contacts that have color and can wear a week at a time.... The walmart people says that the color ones need to come out daily.... can anyone advise me on contacts in general?


It is all new to me and I would like people who wear them to give me any advice you have... :)

What I did when I wore contacts was purchase the extended wear contacts (ones that say you can wear 30 days at a crack or longer) and used them as daily wear. Could make a box of contacts last a long time. In my opionion, get him used to taking out the contacts every night and letting them soak/wash, and put them back in the morning.

The day he turns 18, suggest lasiks. Best invention of my time imo...I love it.

I agree about the lasik surgery but he is only 13 atm.... is there a difference in color vs clear?

No idea, I used clear for 25 years.

It depends purely on the brand. I used contacts from around age 13 until about 18, when I just got tired of all the maintenance required and opted for nice looking glasses instead (so much easier!). I still have some, but you usually won't catch me using them. Get him a backup pair of glasses anyway for those occasional days when his eyes might not agree with the contacts.

Acuvue is very popular and has both color and clear brands, both of which are extended wear and last for a decent amount of time (a couple weeks a pair if I remember right but taken out every night for best results). I used both and found them to be very good quality.

You must emphasize though the importance of handling and wearing contacts correctly. Unless they are designed for overnight wear, don't let him get lazy and just leave them in, because that can lead to problems/infection, especially if they're not cleaned regularly/effectively.

no eye doctor likes contacts staying in overnight even. I have had contacts for 15+ years, and they all would rather them be removed nightly, its better for the eyes.

As far as color contacts, they are less permiable as far as oxygen transfer due to the pigment (from what i've been told of the years), so they shouldnt stay in as long.

If he is 13 now and getting contacts, i would encourage setting good habits now, will save some eye infections in the future that can be easily avoided.

From anecdotal evidence from friends, even the ones that are able to be left in overnight, shouldn't. It irritates your eyes something fierce from what it looked like. Plus there's always the danger of eye infection, as mentioned above.

I used to wear contacts and then I just stopped one day and started wearing glasses. Sometimes if I'm going to be doing something where glasses will get in the way I plop in some contacts but I have a terrible time these days b/c they dry my eyes out like crazy and I can't wear them for durations like I used to be able to.

I've never met an eye doctor yet that thoght sleeping in contacts was an ok thing. One of my co-workers gets infections all the time from him being stupid and trying to stretch out his contacts longer than he should but it doesn't deter him either. I was a junior in high school when I learned I needed corrective eyewear and I chose contacts, omg that was a painful few days while I got used to doing all the necessary things. At 13 I'd be very leery of the responsibility needed to perform the tasks needed to keep your eyes and contacts healthy. But, it's easy to say these things with hindsight.

Great advice... thanks guys... :)