Quick yes or no about contact lens wear please.

[Thatsinteresting]

I have fortnightly contact lenses but I could do with cutting costs a bit. I know I can't just wear them for longer. So my question is this, if I wear glasses every other day will they last the month?

I'm not sure whether the 2 week limit is to do with only wearing them for 14 days or if once they are out the packet the are only safe to wear for the next 2 weeks.

Thank you in advance.

[XBenedict]

What about switching to monthlies? Might work out cheaper?

[madamecake]

I wear fortnightly too, and think the 2 week limit is related to wear and tear, so they get worn out and damaged after 14 or so days.
So yes, I think you are safe to wear your glasses every other day and use them for a month.

[specialsubject]

I agree that it is 'x' wears rather than 'x' days.

but do consider a change of lens type, and shop around for costs; for example, if you use specsavers and only have the one essential checkup a year, it can be cheaper to buy the lenses from their website, pay for the checkup and get the solution elsewhere than to use their direct debit scheme.

[Arcticwaffle]

I had a friend who was an optician and he told me that actually you can wear lenses for a lot longer than stated if you are careful about cleaning them and treating them properly. I have monthly ones I wear for a lot longer than a month. no eye damage after 20yrs of doing this. But I am sensible about them, I don't want to mess with eyes.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Why not go to asda and get their monthly lenses with fluids? They remove protein too so no faffing with protein remover tablets and saline

[nannynick]

If you want to wear glasses every other day, why not just wear glasses every day?

Sorry, I wear glasses and have never had contacts so I do not know about them.

[CatsCantFlyFast]

Having worn contacts for 16 years I am quite blase about lens wearing. I've have tried most lense types and have done the v cheap dailies, monthlies, 2 weeklies, continuous use etc etc. I've worn lenses for far too long, slept in them, overused them and all the other bad things so have a bit of experience!
2 weekly lenses are designed to be worn "in the eye" for 2 weeks, and provided these 14 days are not too far apart (eg a day every month for 14 months) then this does not need to be 14 successive days. However my caveat would be that any change to your contact lens wear should be checked by your optician. I don't mean tell them your life story and plans for your lenses, however wear them as you described for a few months then book a lens check. (It should be free with the optician you buy your lenses from regardless of the frequency). Different lenses degrade at different times/speeds and degradation of lenses results in less oxygen to your eyes, which, in certain circumstances and people, can result in infections and much worse. Just ask your optician for a check that your eyes are OK. Final note, if you are going to scrimp on anything please try not to make it your lenses. In general there are few things in life that it is true that higher cost = better quality, however with lenses I truly believe you get what you pay for. And certain eye conditions caused by lenses can not be reversed. You are doing the sensible thing (ie reducing your lens wear to decrease your cost as opposed to simply buying less lenses and wearing them longer than they are designed for) so this isn't a lecture for you however i'd advise to think long and hard before considering 'cheapy' lenses (as suggested in other posts). I wear lenses approx 15 hours every day (with some exceptions), and because of this have checks every 6 months. Since moving onto much more expensive lenses (dailies, £55 per month) I can feel the difference and the condition of my eyes has improved massively.
I shall now step off the soapbox and leave

[Beamur]

How much are you paying?
I wear gas permeable lenses which are supposed to be v good for the eye longer term, have been wearing them for 20+ years now and get a new pair every 6 months. (You don't sleep in them and have to clean them and take care of them). Costs me less than £20 a month.
I've tried daily disposables but didn't like them. GP are harder to get used to at first but are very easy once you're used to them.

[Mum2Fergus]

Have you calculated how much you are spending year on year...would laser/lasek not be cheaper in the long run?!

[Thatsinteresting]

Thank you all for your replies, plenty to consider. mum2 although I know what you mean there is no chance I'm having that done. Firstly it's not a permanent solution and secondly my mil had it done and it didn't work. Finally a friend had it done and she said she could smell burning, yuk. But she could have been winding me up as she knows I'm squeamish!

[Varya]

Gas perms are ideal for me. Cost about £180 a pair and last for 3-4 years provided they are looked after and kept clean. Insurance about £50 annually so that replacment lenses are discounted and free check-ups included.

[shrimponastick]

I used to get the dailies. However I wore my glasses some days, therefore the lenses lasted much longer than a mobth.

I had laser about 10 years ago , so no Lo.get wear lenses or specs.

[MangoLangoTango]

Why don't you wear glasses everyday and just get dailies for the special occasional wear (night out etc). Rules when it comes to wearing contact lenses are to always clean them properly, never use anything other than lens solution, never wear them for longer than 8 hours, and never sleep in them. These wear from an eye doctor friend who spends way too much time dealing with the disastrous consequences.

[Mum2Fergus]

Lol...trust me, its not painful. Uncomfortable, yes but not sore...and Im a big jessie! The burning is a smell that comes from the laser machine...imagine a bar on an electric fire going in for first time...no worse than that. I had it done nearly 10 years ago and still have 20/20 vision...but I appreciate its not for everyone.