Contacts can come in a number of varieties, including hard and soft. Hard contacts are typically not disposable, while soft contacts often are. Some soft contacts are also known as extended wear lenses. The most commonly used contact lenses today 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 They have since been replaced by rigid gas-permeable (RGP) contact lenses.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.

Color contact lenses are mostly used by teenagers now-a-days to change their looks while attending parties and other special occasions.

There are people who want to have a different look and changing the color of their eye gives that changed look. No wonder it gives a stunning look if you choose the right color of the lens so that it matches your body color and hair color. Blue, Grey, Hazel, Turquoise, Aqua, Brown, Green, and Violet are some of the color in which you get the contact lenses.

Apart from this there is also cheap crazy contact lens available in the market that changes the looks of your eyes to that of the cat or a dog. You can even change your eyes to look as if it is the eyes of a panther or a lizard. Such lenses that give the special effects to your eyes are easily available in the market.

Special effects like flame, cross, and flower are also available. You have a wide variety of choice to choose from. Such special effects lenses are used mostly in parties like Halloween and other special occasions.

Most of these contact lenses come without any vision correction. If your eye needs a lens that needs some vision correction then you have to place an order specially to suit your eyes. Most of these colored lenses can be bought without any prescription; however there are some stores that require you to furnish the prescription from a doctor to make the purchase. These contact lenses are mostly of disposable type. Daily disposable, weekly disposable and monthly disposable types are available in the market.

There are different brands of lenses to choose from. A simple search on the internet would give you a lot of online stores from which you can order your contact lenses.