What is the Difference Between Daily and Monthly Contact Lenses?
If you are new to wearing contacts or have been doing it for years, you may be wondering what the difference is (other than cost!) between contacts that you toss each day and contacts you can wear and disinfect then soak for up to 30 days. The main differences are actually pretty simple:
Daily use are thinner and less durable than the Monthly lenses
Daily use you need to toss immediately after wearing- after a whole day or even just a few hours
Monthly lenses require maintenance: each night before bed you need to take them out and cleanse them with contact solution then let them soak in fresh solution overnight
Upfront, Daily lenses typically cost more than the longer Monthly wear options
Daily lenses are less prone to hygiene issues, whereas Monthly lenses can have build up on them if not properly cleaned each night, then thrown away after the 30 days they have been opened
Ok, what is the same about them?
Both daily and monthly contact lenses should only be worn for their recommended amount of time, which is to say, sleeping in either is not a good choice. Likewise, both should be thrown away at the end of their life cycle regardless of the actual amount of hours spent in your eyes. It is tempting to try and reuse contacts when we only put them in for a few hours, however dailies should always be thrown away immediately upon taking them out of your eyes. Monthly lenses are only good for 30 days of use once opened. Even if you only end up putting them in for half the days of the month, you still need to toss them once that 30 days is up. Think of this like drinking expired milk- YUK!
Can you switch from monthly to daily?
Yes! The only thing you need to do to make this change is have an appointment with your doctor to discuss which lenses would work best for you and to ensure your prescription is up to date. Pending your particular prescription and health of your eyes, your doctor can help you make the change. There are some cases in which one or the other type may not make sense, so it is important to ensure you are getting what will work best for your eyes. If you have always used monthly, but find that you do not put them in everyday, switching to daily wear could work. Vise versa, if you have dailies but you are now wearing them more frequently and want to cut down on cost, switching to monthly could be a better choice. Additionally, some people who have dry eye find dailies to work better for them to ensure a fresh, clean set of contacts when you do decide to wear them.
What is the cost difference?
Generally speaking daily wear contacts will cost more upfront than their 30 day wear counterparts. Boxes of 30 day wear lenses are typically sold in 6 or 12 month increments- 1 set per month. Daily wear contacts are typically sold in 3 to 6 month quantities and typically cost twice as much for the same time frame- aka 3 month dailies will cost a little more than the 6 month 30 day wear ones. This can vary quite a bit depending on the lenses that are best for your eyes. Keep in mind that daily wear contacts do not require any upkeep or typically any contact solution to add to the on going cost, whereas 30 day wear contacts do require you to purchase and use contact solution. Most people will find that the 30 day wear contacts will cost them less yearly with the added benefit of causing less waste.
So which is right for you?
You should always consult with your doctor prior to making a decision to get their professional opinion on your eyes and their needs. Most people can make the choice between the two types and have to simply evaluate the cost vs. convenience of them. No matter which you end up choosing, it is very important to follow the usage guidelines to keep your eyes healthy and happy for all your years to come!
