Contacts 101
Contact lenses, done properly.
Contact lens fitting isn’t just measuring your eye and handing you a box. It’s about how the lens sits, how it moves, how your eye breathes, and how comfortable you are eight hours into wearing it.
Why fittings matter
A contact lens is a medical device.
Two patients with identical prescriptions can need completely different contacts. Eye shape, tear film, blink pattern, and what you actually do during the day all change what works.
That’s why a real contact lens fitting at Pine Vision Care takes time. We measure your cornea, evaluate your tear film, watch how the trial lens moves on the eye, and check whether your vision and comfort stay good after a few minutes of wear.
If you’ve been getting the same brand for ten years and never really thought about it — there’s a real chance there’s a better lens out there for you.
Lens types
The contact lens designs we actually fit.
The right contact depends less on your prescription than on your eye, your eyelids, and your day.
Daily disposables
Fresh lens every day, no cleaning, no storage case. Best for most patients — especially anyone with allergies, dry eyes, or unpredictable wear schedules. The cleanest, healthiest option.
Bi-weekly & monthly
Reusable lenses you clean and store overnight. Cost-effective for steady daily wearers, but the eye has to tolerate the lens material and the cleaning routine has to actually happen.
Toric (for astigmatism)
Modern toric lenses can handle most astigmatism prescriptions. The fit is more particular — we measure orientation and rotation, not just power.
Multifocal
Distance and reading in one lens, designed in zones. The transition takes a week or two for most people. Worth it if you’re used to readers and want to ditch them.
Scleral & specialty
For keratoconus, severe dry eye, post-surgical eyes, or anyone whose cornea won’t fit a standard lens. These are custom-fit and we do them in-house.
Myopia control (kids)
MiSight and other multifocal designs that slow how fast a child’s prescription gets worse year over year. See our myopia management page.
Your fitting
What a real contact lens fitting looks like.
If your last fitting was 5 minutes and a free trial pair, you didn’t actually get fit.
Eye health check
Cornea, tear film, eyelid health. If contacts aren’t safe for your eye right now, we’ll tell you.
Measurements
Corneal curvature, diameter, pupil size, and where your eye actually sits. These drive lens selection.
Trial lens
You wear it in-office and we watch how it moves and centers, then check vision and comfort.
Follow-up
About a week later we check the eye again to make sure nothing’s irritated and the lens is still working.
When contacts hurt
If contacts feel terrible by 5pm,
The lens isn’t the only suspect. Most end-of-day discomfort is actually your tear film evaporating faster than the lens can hold onto moisture — not the lens itself.
Real options include: switching to a daily disposable, changing the lens material, treating underlying dry eye, or adjusting your wear schedule. Sometimes it’s as simple as not sleeping in contacts (which we’ll always recommend against, but we know it happens).
Discomfort isn’t something to power through. It’s information about how the lens, your eye, and your day are interacting. Come in and we’ll figure it out.
I’d worn the same monthly contacts for fifteen years thinking they were fine. Dr. Julia switched me to dailies and my eyes feel like a different person’s eyes.Pine Vision Care patient
Frequently asked
Common questions about contacts.
Why do I need a separate fitting? I already have a prescription.
Your glasses prescription tells the lens what power to be. The fitting tells us which lens shape and material will actually sit on your eye and stay comfortable. They’re different measurements.
Can I switch to dailies?
For most patients, yes. Dailies are the healthiest option and we recommend them when they fit your needs and budget. There are good options now even for high prescriptions, astigmatism, and multifocal.
I have astigmatism — can I wear contacts?
Almost certainly yes. Toric contacts have come a long way and we fit them daily, including in dailies. Bring in any old contacts that didn’t work and we’ll talk through what went wrong.
How often should I really replace my lenses?
Whatever the box says — not longer. "Stretching" a 2-week lens to a month or a monthly lens to two months is the number one cause of contact-related eye infections.
Can I order online once I have a prescription?
Yes, by law your contact prescription is yours. We’ll write it the same way whether you buy from us or online — we just want to make sure the prescription stays current.
Ready to be fit properly?
Let’s find the contact lens your eye actually wants.
Book a comprehensive eye exam with a contact lens evaluation and we’ll walk through your options — honestly.