Contact Lenses — Everything You Need to Know

Yes — contact lenses have no age restriction. Children and older adults wear them successfully every day. Every new wearer needs a short adjustment period to master insertion, removal and care, but this comes quickly with practice. For children, the key question is whether they are mature enough to take on the hygiene responsibilities involved. Your eye doctor is best placed to advise.

A well-fitted contact lens is virtually undetectable — you quickly forget you have it in. Some new wearers notice mild sensitivity during the first few days of use, or if a lens is accidentally inserted the wrong way round. Both situations resolve on their own within a short time. If discomfort continues, contact your eye care professional.

Less time than most people expect. After a few tries, inserting and removing lenses becomes an effortless routine that takes no more than a minute.

Many lenses carry tiny laser-engraved numbers or letters that show their orientation at a glance. Without such markings, balance the lens on your fingertip and observe the shape: it should curve gently upward, resembling a cup. If the edges flare outward like the brim of a hat, the lens is inside out and needs to be inverted before use.

With properly fitted lenses and correct insertion, displacement is extremely unlikely. On rare occasions a lens may shift slightly, but it stays within the eye and is easily guided back into position.

A lens cannot travel behind the eye — anatomy prevents it. If a dry lens seems to be caught beneath the upper eyelid, close your eyes and massage the lid gently from the outside, then blink several times. A few drops of artificial tears or rewetting solution will help the lens return to its correct position effortlessly.

Only if your lenses have been designed and clinically approved for extended or continuous overnight wear. For all standard lenses, sleeping with them in is not recommended. Always follow the manufacturer's replacement schedule and never use lenses continuously unless your ophthalmologist has given express approval.

No. The pupil — through which you actually see — sits at the centre of the lens, which remains perfectly clear. Coloured lenses change only the appearance of the iris. Your colour perception and visual clarity are entirely unaffected. In low-light conditions, when the pupil enlarges, there may be a very slight and temporary effect. The clear central zone is standardised by the manufacturer to suit the vast majority of users.

Bear in mind that lenses are counted individually, not as pairs. Assuming you have the same prescription in both eyes:

• 30 daily disposables → 15 days of wear
• 6 monthly lenses → 3 months of wear
• 3 quarterly lenses → 1 pair plus one additional spare
• 6 two-weekly lenses → 3 pairs, covering 6 weeks in total

Greek legislation allows contact lenses to be purchased online without the customer being required to submit a prescription to the retailer.

In most cases, no. A glasses prescription and a contact lens prescription are not interchangeable, particularly for higher corrections. Because contact lenses rest on the eye rather than in front of it, the optical parameters differ. Your corneal curvature — the base curve — is also a crucial variable that only a dedicated contact lens examination can determine. Book an appointment with your eye care professional before placing your first order.

If your prescription is identical for both eyes, yes — you can use any lens from the box in either eye. If the prescriptions differ, you will need two separate boxes. Labelling them "R" and "L" is a simple way to avoid any mix-up.

D stands for Dominant and N for Non-dominant, and these labels appear on prescriptions for multifocal or bifocal contact lenses. The dominant eye handles primarily distance vision; the non-dominant handles near. Not all manufacturers or prescribers use this notation. If your prescription includes D and N, ask your ophthalmologist to explain the significance before ordering.

Contact lens prescriptions use abbreviations and numeric values that can appear cryptic at first glance. Your eye doctor will be happy to go through each parameter with you. Making sure you understand your prescription fully before ordering is the best way to ensure you always receive the right product.

For many wearers, particularly those who use them part-time, the daily cost of contact lenses is lower than you might expect. Celestia Enterprises Ltd is dedicated to offering a broad range of contact lenses at competitive prices, with every product sourced exclusively from authorised European distributors — guaranteeing authenticity and quality on every order.

Look for shops that source their stock exclusively from authorised distributors of established manufacturers, and that offer genuine, responsive customer support. Celestia Enterprises Ltd is a Cypriot company with a long-standing commitment to quality: we stock only authentic products from approved European distributors and our experienced team is always on hand to help with any question or concern.

Trial lenses are dispensed exclusively by qualified opticians or ophthalmologists following a proper examination. If you want to try a particular lens type before purchasing, your eye care professional is the right person to speak to.

We strongly advise against it. Changing lens brand, type or care solution without professional guidance risks a poor fit and potentially serious complications. Even a minor mismatch can cause persistent discomfort. Always consult your eye doctor before making any change to your lens regimen.

For modern soft reusable lenses, a single multi-purpose solution handles everything — cleaning, disinfection and storage. Wearers of daily disposable lenses have it even easier: the lens is discarded at the end of the day with no additional maintenance required.

Yes, and it takes only seconds. Place the lens in your palm, add a drop or two of multi-purpose solution and rub it gently with circular movements before placing it in the case. This simple step removes protein, lipid and bacterial deposits far more effectively than soaking alone. Even solutions marketed as no-rub benefit from this extra step, which keeps your lenses cleaner and reduces the risk of eye infections.

Tap water, as well as bottled, distilled or any other water, and saliva, all contain microorganisms capable of causing serious eye infections — including Acanthamoeba keratitis, which can threaten your sight. Use only solutions specifically formulated for contact lens care, and keep a travel-sized bottle in your bag so you are never without it.

Absolutely. Lubricating eye drops — artificial tears — are entirely compatible with contact lenses and can be applied at any time, whether before insertion or after. Thicker drops applied shortly before you put your lenses in coat the eye evenly and make the process noticeably more comfortable.

The two are perfectly compatible with a little care. Follow these straightforward guidelines:

• Always insert lenses before applying make-up and remove them before cleansing
• Choose water-based, hypoallergenic products wherever possible
• Avoid heavy, oily or creamy products in the eye area
• Wash your hands thoroughly before touching your lenses or your eyes
• Keep eyes shut while applying powders; remove excess before opening them
• Apply mascara away from the lash roots and avoid fibre-based mascaras
• Replace products on a regular schedule and wash brushes and sponges frequently

Once a lens is opened, organic deposits from your tear film and inorganic particles from the environment begin to accumulate immediately. Wearing lenses beyond their scheduled replacement date allows these deposits to become toxic over time, reducing the lens's oxygen transmission and significantly raising the risk of keratitis and corneal ulceration. The wearing schedule exists to protect you — stick to it.

Yes. The expiry date on the packaging certifies that the lens remains sterile and structurally intact until that date. Once it passes, safety can no longer be guaranteed. The logic is straightforward: just as you would not use food past its use-by date, expired lenses should be discarded and replaced.

Contact lenses offer clear advantages for any physical activity: they provide an unrestricted 360-degree field of view, stay securely in place regardless of movement, are unaffected by rain or perspiration and allow the free use of helmets, swim goggles, visors or any other headgear. For most athletes, they are simply the superior choice for vision correction.

It is not advisable. All bodies of water — sea, pool, lake or river — can introduce harmful microorganisms to your eyes when lenses are present. If you open your eyes underwater with lenses in, remove and discard them within 10–15 minutes. If avoiding contact with water is not possible, wear well-sealed swimming goggles at all times.

Yes, always. Shower water, soaps and sweat contain bacteria that are harmful to lenses and eyes. The heat and steam in a sauna or steam room cause lenses to dry out and distort, resulting in irritation and difficulty removing them. Make removing your lenses a routine step before any of these activities.

It is better to avoid it. The heat dries out lenses, which causes irritation and can make removal uncomfortable. Remove your lenses beforehand and wear a good pair of UV-protective sunglasses instead. And just to reassure you — contact lenses cannot melt, no matter how hot it gets!

In many cases, yes. Dry eye is not an automatic barrier to wearing contact lenses, but it does require a thorough eye examination and an individualised recommendation from an ophthalmologist before you start. There are lenses specifically designed for dry eye sufferers that can make a significant difference.

Yes, with some sensible adjustments during peak season:

• Reduce your daily wearing time when symptoms are at their worst
• Switch to daily disposables during allergy season — a fresh lens each day reduces allergen build-up
• Ask your eye doctor to recommend a cleaning solution suited to your specific allergies