Hirocon is the first shop in Singapore to sell only contact lenses. Originally named Hirokoji Contact, it hails from Japan, where it was established in 1988.
You may casually think that contact lenses are merely an attractive alternative to glasses, but in actual fact, because it is a medical device which comes into direct contact with your eyes, Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority has specific regulations on its sale and purchase. Shops are not allowed to sell contact lenses online and the user must be fitted by a qualified optometrist before purchase.
So you can see how important it is to get contact lenses accurately prescribed by a professional. Improper fitting and unsuitable contact lens can compromise your safety and comfort!
As I have experienced, getting fitted for your contact lenses at Hirocon is a very different experience as compared to a normal optical shop which sells spectacles and sunglasses as well.
The first thing which struck me about Hirocon was how brightly-lit and spacious it is:
The space immediately made me feel welcomed and relaxed. I was asked to fill in a card with my personal details in the reception area, before being introduced to my optometrist in the Refraction Room.
Unlike in most optical shops where the vision testing is carried out in a cramped cranny, the Refraction Room at Hirocon is about the same size as the reception area. There is even a sink and anti-bacterial soap for users to wash their hands before trying on their contact lenses.
My optometrist may look like a young girl fresh out of school, but she proved to be extremely meticulous. If you’ve been fitted for contact lenses before, you will know that it’s not as simple as taking the degree of one’s glasses. Leaving nothing to assumption, she used a slit lamp to check my eyes for any irregularities which may prevent me from wearing contact lenses comfortably – even though I told her that I wasn’t new to wearing them.
Then, she made me undergo a full eye test to check my vision. Hirocon uses this new-fangled Visual Acuity Testing equipment which has the Snellen Chart projected inside the machine. Once she’s sorted out my prescription, she decides which contact lenses are most suitable for me.
Because different brands suit different patients due to eyeball shape, she explains that Hirocon carries more than one brand to accommodate as many customers as possible. As this blog post is sponsored by CooperVision, I keep my fingers crossed that CooperVision contact lens will suit me. I tell her that this is the first time I would be trying on CooperVision lenses. I also tell her that the last brand of contact lenses I used made my eyes feel so dry, I stopped completely during my pregnancy four years ago and switched to glasses forevermore.
Based on what I’ve told her, she recommend CooperVision Proclear 1-day contact lenses, which are the only contact lenses cleared by the United States Proclear is the only lens material cleared by the US FDA for the claim: The lenses may provide improved comfort for contact lens wearers who experience mild discomfort or symptoms related to dryness during lens wear associated with Evaporative Tear Deficiency or from Aqueous Tear Deficiency (non-Sjogren’s only).
Because the material tightly binds with water, the lenses stay hydrated. Sadly though, because I have astigmatism which needs to be corrected in my left eye, and the Proclear toric is not available in Singapore, I had to go for the CooperVision Biomedics 1-day Extra in my right eye and Biomedics 1-day Extra toric in the left. After putting on a pair which matched my prescription as closely as possible, I was put in front of the Visual Acuity Testing machine again to check my vision. Yes, just to help me find the most suitable lenses for my eyes, my helpful optometrist actually opened quite a few samples of contact lenses for me to try.
While not as noticeably moist as the Proclear lenses, the Biomedics lenses were also comfortable – or at least – more comfortable on my eye than the lenses of a rival brand. Thanks to Hirocon, I am ready to give contact lenses a brand new chance!
Hirocon carries a wide range of contact lenses, including CooperVision’s full range, as well as some other fancy coloured contact lenses. Call them today to make your appointment.
Address:
277 Orchard Road #B2-28 Orchard Gateway (the same side as Somerset MRT Station)
Contact:
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: 6702 3777
