What Are Silicone Hydrogel Contact Lenses And Are They Better For My Eyes?
If you’ve worn contact lenses in recent years, there’s a good chance you’re already wearing silicone hydrogel contact lenses!
Lenses like Acuvue Oasys, DAILIES Total1, Air Optix, and Total30 are all made from silicone hydrogel. Today, it’s one of the most widely used materials in soft contact lenses.
But it wasn’t always the standard.
What Came Before Silicone Hydrogel?
Before silicone hydrogel became popular, most soft contact lenses were made from traditional hydrogel materials.
Hydrogel lenses were introduced commercially in the 1970s and quickly became the standard. Compared to hard lenses, they felt softer and more flexible, which made them more comfortable for many people.
But traditional hydrogels have a big limitation: they rely primarily on water content to transmit oxygen.
Your cornea doesn’t receive oxygen from blood vessels. It absorbs oxygen directly from the air. When you wear contact lenses, oxygen has to pass through the lens material to reach the surface of your eye.
With traditional hydrogel lenses, more water meant more oxygen transmission. But higher water content also meant the lens could dry out more easily. There was always a balance between breathability and moisture stability.
As people began wearing lenses for longer stretches, for example, for a full workday, eye care professionals started looking for materials that could allow more oxygen through without depending entirely on water.
Silicone hydrogel lenses were introduced in the late 1990s and early 2000s to address that problem.
By incorporating silicone into the material, manufacturers dramatically increased oxygen permeability. For the first time, lenses could deliver significantly more oxygen to the cornea without sacrificing structure.
Over time, improvements refined the surface feel and moisture balance. By the mid-2000s, silicone hydrogel had become the preferred material for many daily and extended-wear lenses.
Today, it’s considered the standard.
Oxygen and the Cornea
Oxygen permeability remains the defining feature of silicone hydrogel.
Because silicone allows oxygen to pass through more freely than water-based hydrogels alone, these lenses support healthier corneal function during daily wear.
Higher oxygen transmission can help reduce redness, especially for people who wear lenses for long hours. Silicone hydrogel lenses like Acuvue Oasys and Air Optix are often recommended for individuals who wear lenses for long periods.
You may not consciously feel “oxygen,” but you may notice that your eyes feel less tired by evening.
Moisture and Comfort
Early silicone hydrogel lenses prioritized oxygen above everything else. Over time, manufacturers refined the material to improve how the surface interacts with your tear film.
Modern designs focus not only on breathability, but also on smooth feel and hydration.
For example, DAILIES Total1 uses a water gradient design, meaning the outer surface of the lens contains a higher water content than the core. This creates a softer interface between the lens and the eye.
Total30 lenses are designed to maintain surface moisture over a full month of wear, helping reduce dryness that can develop over time.
Moisture retention isn’t just about adding water. It’s about creating a surface that feels natural to the eye.
When that balance is right, lenses feel stable and less noticeable.
Surface Technology
Beyond the base material, many silicone hydrogel lenses incorporate advanced surface treatments.
Hydrating agents help reduce deposit buildup and improve wettability. Lipid-resistant coatings can help lenses stay clearer over time.
Air Optix lenses, for example, are designed to resist lipid deposits while maintaining their moist feel.
What About UV Protection?
Some silicone hydrogel lenses include built-in UV-blocking technology.
Certain lenses within the Acuvue family, for instance, offer UV filtering. While contact lenses do not replace sunglasses, they can provide an additional layer of protection directly over the cornea.
Not all silicone hydrogel lenses include UV protection, so it’s important to review the specifications with your eye care provider.
Is Silicone Hydrogel Right for Everyone?
Silicone hydrogel has become common because it addresses one of the biggest challenges in contact lens wear: oxygen restriction.
For many people, this leads to:
- Less redness
- Improved long-term corneal health
- More stable comfort
- Better tolerance for extended wear
That said, tear chemistry, sensitivity, and individual comfort still matter.
Traditional hydrogel lenses are still available and may work well for some wearers. The best material depends on how your eyes respond.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are silicone hydrogel lenses better than regular hydrogel lenses?
Silicone hydrogel lenses allow significantly more oxygen to reach the cornea compared to traditional hydrogel lenses. For many people, this can mean less redness and improved comfort during longer wear.
That said, some individuals tolerate traditional hydrogels very well. The best material depends on your tear film, sensitivity level, and how long you typically wear your lenses.
Why does oxygen matter so much in contact lenses?
Your cornea doesn’t receive oxygen from blood vessels. It absorbs oxygen directly from the air.
When a contact lens sits on the eye, it acts as a barrier between the cornea and the atmosphere. If the material doesn’t allow enough oxygen through, the eye can become stressed over time.
Silicone hydrogel was developed to improve oxygen flow, especially for people who wear lenses for extended hours.
Do silicone hydrogel lenses prevent dry eyes?
They can help, but they don’t eliminate dryness entirely.
While silicone hydrogel improves oxygen transmission, comfort also depends on tear quality, environment, screen use, and individual sensitivity.
Modern designs often incorporate surface technologies to enhance moisture retention, but dryness is influenced by multiple factors.
Can you sleep in silicone hydrogel lenses?
Some silicone hydrogel lenses are FDA-approved for extended wear, meaning they can be worn overnight for a limited number of days, but only with your eye doctor’s approval.
Even though the material allows more oxygen to pass through, sleeping in contact lenses still carries risk. Extended wear should always be discussed with a provider.
Do all silicone hydrogel lenses have UV protection?
No. Some lenses include UV-blocking features, particularly within certain product lines like Acuvue. However, not all silicone hydrogel lenses offer UV protection.
And even when they do, contact lenses do not replace sunglasses, since they do not cover the entire eye or surrounding tissue.
Are daily disposable lenses made from silicone hydrogel?
Many are. Brands like DAILIES Total1 use silicone hydrogel in daily disposable formats. Silicone hydrogel is now used across daily, bi-weekly, and monthly lenses.
Material choice depends more on the specific product design than the replacement schedule.
When did silicone hydrogel become the standard?
Silicone hydrogel lenses were introduced in the late 1990s and gained widespread adoption in the early to mid-2000s.
If silicone hydrogel is the standard now, why do traditional hydrogel lenses still exist?
Some people prefer the feel of traditional hydrogel lenses, especially if they have specific sensitivities or tear chemistry that interacts better with water-based materials.