'1-Day Acuvue' contact lenses, United States, 1999

Disposible "1-Day Acuvue" contact lenses (20) in box.

Contact lenses are an alternative to glasses as a way to correct vision. They are designed to be worn during the day. ’1-day Acuvue’ was launched in 1995 by Johnson & Johnson. It was the first soft disposable lens available worldwide. Disposable contact lenses were introduced in 1987. They are more hygienic because they remove the need for cleaning. Soft contact lenses are made of a thin layer of flexible plastic. In the 1960s and 1970s, these replaced hard contact lenses often made of glass. Hard contact lenses were rigid, difficult to put in and could only be worn for a few hours at a time. It is estimated over 125 million people worldwide now use contact lenses.