Contact Lenses are a thin lens placed directly on the surface of the eye. They are worn by 150 million people worldwide, mainly for vision correction but also for cosmetic and therapeutic reasons. Broadly speaking, they are suitable for anyone and at Urquharts, we have children as young as 6 on our Contact Len Care Plan, right through to those in their 70s and beyond.
In addition to age, vision correction is no longer a limiting factor either. Regardless of whether you are long or short sighted, or even have astigmatism, almost everyone who needs eyesight correction can now wear contact lenses. There are also multifocal options for those who need different lens powers for distance and close work or only have reading glasses.
A Monthly Direct Debit or
Pay As You Wear
Flexible Wearing Patterns, Occasional,
Part-Time & Full-Time
A Monthly Direct Debit or
Pay As You Wear
Make an Appointment for an Eye Examination
Make an Appointment for an Eye Examination
Your Optometrist will communicate clearly your options and a recommendation based on your lifestyle
Assuming you are satisfied with the vision, comfort and clarity, your Optometrist will sign you off, usually for 12 months
You want UV Protection all year round without having to wear sunglasses
You want more freedom for sports related activity
You don’t want to wear your spectacles all of the time
You want to wear any sunglasses that you wish, instead of prescription only
At Urquharts, we provide a comprehensive monthly care plan for all of our Contact Lens Wearers. But why sign up?
Daily disposable Contact Lenses are considered to be the healthiest lens for your eyes and with no solution and no cleaning comes no hassle. Simply put in a new lens each day and recycle the worn and used lens – it couldn’t be easier! Dailies are also a great choice for those who are prone to allergies as they avoid day-to-day build up of dust, pollen and other irritants. They also allow great flexibility with wearing patterns and are ideal for sport and those who love the outdoors.
Twice monthly contact lenses can be worn daily for up to two weeks. They are removed every night so they can be cleaned and they are also much more cost effective than daily disposables if you wear your lenses frequently as you won’t need to open a new set every day. Our most popular twice monthly lens is AcuvueOasys by Johnson & Johnson and it is considered one of the most comfortable fitting lenses available due to the high levels of Oxygen that reach the eye.
One of the most recent developments in Contact Lenses is the introduction of Daily Multifocal Contact Lenses. These lenses, also known as Varifocal Lenses, allow for Distance, Intermediate and Reading correction all within one lens. This means that no additional pairs of spectacles are required, for example, reading glasses over a pair of distance contact lenses. As we age gracefully, our eyes find it more difficult to focus on objects close up. This is called Presbyopia and means that we’ll start to need different prescriptions for different lifestyle activities.
We’ve all seen spectacle lenses that change in colour depending on the light they are in – most commonly known as Transitions. Well, now you can get contact lenses that also react to the light, enabling you to squint less, and see more! This lens is produced by leading manufacturer Johnson &Johnson and seamlessly changes from Clear to Dark to reduce the impact of light on your eyes. It also provides the highest levels of UV Protection and blue light filter.
Nearsightedness, also known as myopia, is a when you can see objects near to you clearly, but objects farther away are blurry. Myopia can start at a young age and therefore at Urquharts, we are one of the few providers of MiSight Contact Lenses (Each Optician must be Trained & Approved) by Coopervision which is a pioneering contact lens which clinical studies demonstrate, slows the progression of myopia in children. Slowing this progression in turn reduces the likelihood of conditions such as Glaucoma and retinal detachments later in life.
Daily disposable Contact Lenses are considered to be the healthiest lens for your eyes and with no solution and no cleaning comes no hassle. Simply put in a new lens each day and recycle the worn and used lens – it couldn’t be easier! Dailies are also a great choice for those who are prone to allergies as they avoid day-to-day build up of dust, pollen and other irritants. They also allow great flexibility with wearing patterns and are ideal for sport and those who love the outdoors.
As an independent practice, we also specialise in a number of advance and complex contact lens fittings for conditions such as Keratoconus or Cosmetic Lenses. In most cases, RGP (Rigid Gas Permeable) lenses are used for such conditions and the fitting of these lenses requires specialist knowledge and equipment to ensure the most accurate vision correction.
Keratoconus is a condition affecting the cornea, the clear part at the front of the eye, which causes it to become softer and thinner than those of normal corneas. Under the influence of internal eye pressure, the cornea then changes shape. Contact lenses are used to restore a better corneal shape and focus. Most people with keratoconus have to rely on contact lenses to regain functional vision.
At Urquharts, one of our core values is ‘Care & Community’ and as part of this we are one
of the few eye care providers that recycle all soft contact lenses. This service is delivered in
partnership with contact lens manufacturer Johnson & Johnson and lenses can be
dropped off in any of our practices in Kilmarnock, Prestwick, Troon, Ayr, Kilwinning,
Saltcoats, West Kilbride, Lanark, Eaglesham, Strathaven, Stranraer, Clarkston & Galston. We
encourage all contact lens wearers – be they patients of ours or not – to make full use of
the free service.
The scheme sees recycling specialists Terra Cycle collect and pelletize the used lenses for
remoulding into new plastic products, and is designed to provide contact lens wearers with
a cost-free, sustainable and convenient alternative to the existing postal return service
offered by lens manufacturers.
Absolutely, as long as your prescription is in date (i.e. Your last eye was within the past year). Please call your local practice in Kilmarnock, Prestwick, Troon, Ayr, Kilwinning, Saltcoats, West Kilbride, Lanark, Eaglesham, Strathaven, Stranraer, Clarkston or Galston and ask our team to make you a Contact Lens Fitting Appointment. This appointment will last between 20-40 minutes and we will use your eye test prescription to fit lenses that correct your vision and meet your lifestyle requirements. This may take multiple appointments, depending on the lenses that we need to fit. Once you are happy, we will sign you off and you can join our Direct Debit Scheme, or order lenses as and when you require them
We usually recommend annual contact lens aftercare. This allows our Optometrists to check annually the fit of the lens and to ensure that proper and safe wearing patterns are being adhered to. If you are on our Contact Lens Care Plan there is no charge for this service. If not, then this appointment costs £40 and usually lasts 20 minutes
Yes, we send all of our Contact Lenses directly to your chosen address and this is included within the price quoted –
be it Direct Debit or Pay As You Wear
Contact Lenses have advanced considerably in the past few years – including the material used and the types of lenses available on the market. We offer free trials and therefore there is nothing to lose by booking an appointment. Please call your local practice in Kilmarnock, Prestwick, Troon, Ayr, Kilwinning, Saltcoats, West Kilbride, Lanark, Eaglesham, Strathaven, Stranraer, Clarkston & Galston and they will be delighted to look after you
