Crazy contacts

A contact lens (also known as "contact", for short) is a corrective or cosmetic lens placed on the cornea of the eye atop the iris.

Contacts can come in a number of varieties, including hard and soft (extended-wear and disposable, respectively). The most commonly used contact lenses today, however, are of the soft variety, invented in 1961 by the Czech chemist Otto Wichterle (1913–1998).

Contact lenses (both soft and hard) are made of various types of polymers, usually containing some variant of silicone hydrogel. Previously, hard contact lenses were made of a polymer known as PMMA. They have since been replaced by rigid gas-permeable (RGP) contact lenses. Many contact lenses are made of hydrophilic (water-absorbing) materials, thereby allowing oxygen to reach the cornea, and make the lens more comfortable to wear.

Heavily tinted contacts are tinted to change the color of the iris, and are used for cosmetic reasons. Some standard contact lenses are slightly tinted in order to make them more visible for handling purposes.

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