Why I use them
I used to have perfect eyesight but then it deteriorated very quickly. At first it was just the sharpness of objects that went but eventually the details of things became blurry such as the features of someone's face and colours started to appear paler. I went to the Opticians to get glasses but hated how I looked in them so went around squinting all the time and only wearing them when driving and in the cinema where it was dark. Then my eyesight got even worse so I thought that buying a £300 pair of designer glasses may force me to wear them, but it didn't.

Now wearing contact lenses was the obvious answer but I had a real problem with anything going near my eye. I am squeamish to the max when even talking about eyes and I am typing this through gritted teeth still. At this point, I was waving at people thinking I knew them, ignoring people thinking I didn't, getting lost because I couldn't see street names and missing out on beautiful scenery. I even ran up to a man in a pub and hugged him because I thought he was actually my twin brother. I had a hard time talking my way out of that one! I went to the Opticians again for a consultation and eight hours later, after six different members of staff had tried, eventually the manager got one contact in my eye.

These were fortnightly ones and I just didn't get on with them. They were as big as saucers, completely uncomfortable and a nightmare to put in and keep in. They would tear after one use and hurt like mad so after collecting enough of them to start my own shop, I cancelled my direct debit and went back to missing out on the world.

It really started to get to me in the end, especially as I knew how easily some people get on with contacts, so I went to a different Opticians and told them everything. They suggested that I should try Ciba Vision Focus Dailies and so I did and, at the risk of sounding dramatic, they have honestly changed my life.

What do they do?
Ciba Vision Focus Dailies are designed to be thrown away after one use so the material used to make them doesn't need to be as durable as the fortnightly and monthly ones and so feel much more comfortable in the eye. As they are to be worn daily, you can insert a fresh, clean new lense each day and have your vision correctly instantly without the need for wearing glasses.

They are best suited for those who suffer with allergies or sensitive eyes because you put new ones in each day, without having the worries of cleaning the lense properly and getting an infection or irritating the eye from pollen or pollutants. They are completely safe to use and they will not change your eye colour at all.

How do they work?
Contact lenses work by refracting the light in a certain way that allows the wearer to see properly. These particular lenses are made out of Silicone Hydrogel which is a material that maintains the health of the eye and allows it to breath. Pressure holds the lense in the correct place on the eye so it shouldn't move around once it has been inserted.

These particular lenses are called toric lenses because they are for eyes they have an astigmatism. This means that your eye ball is rugby shaped instead of football shaped so the shape of these lenses are a combination of being spherical and cylindrical to fit the eye correctly.

When I wore the other lenses, the dryer my eye would get, the more they would pick. Drops are available for contact lenses but I would have had to use them constantly. These lenses are made out of a material which retains the moisture in the lenses making them completely comfortable to wear. They actually have a blink activated moisture response which means that each time you blink, the moisture levels are replenished.

The lenses have been created using Lightstream Technology which means that every lense will be high quality and work to its potential and they have a non ionic surface to improve the comfort. Each lense is 69% water to ensure that it is gentle in the eye.

How do you use them?
I am not going to pretend that these little things will not cause you any frustrations. The first few weeks of owning them was a complete nightmare. Once I eventually got them in, my eyes would be red raw and I would panic all day about taking them out again and it was like something out of horror film.

One day, my best friend who has worn them for years sat down with me and after a bottle of wine forced me to continually put them in and take them out again to the point where it wasn't an issue anymore. It certainly tested out friendship but I'm glad she did it.

The first thing you need to do is check whether the lense is the correct way because if you put it in backwards, it will be uncomfortable. These lenses make this task simple because they actually have OK written on them in blue writing. If the writing is the right way, then the lense is the right way. You can't see the writing once it's in your eye but if you drag the lense across to the white part, you can see the word OK on your eye ball. Aaargh, freaky!

You should always wash you hands before starting. To insert the lense, I sit at the table and look down into a mirror. I use my free hand to pull my upper eyelid up. I put the lense on my index finger of my other hand because it's the strongest and use my one middle finger of the same hand, to pull the bottom eyelid down and plop it in. Obviously it's not as easy as that and it rarely goes in first time for me, but it certainly gets better with practise. My friend doesn't even use a mirror anymore.

To get them out again is tricky at first and there are many different ways in which you can do so. I drag the lense onto the white part and pinch the lense out gently. With practise, you'll find your own way of doing it and a way which suits you best.

Packaging and Price
The lenses come in boxes of 30 or 90 lenses. As each eye often has a different prescription, you'll probably end up with two boxes. Inside there are strips of individual lenses that are each contained within their own little plastic holder. The lenses is inside floating in a saline solution which keeps it moist and clean until it is needed and you peel back the strip to access the contact lense. The lense itself is clear and extremely flexible.

The price will vary greatly. I get mine from Specsavers for about £30 for the 60 lenses, that's 30 pairs. I know they are available from many online websites for much cheaper and you simply have to input your prescription to get them delivered to your door. I haven't done this yet but as they can be around half the price that I'm paying now, I will look into doing it soon.

My experience
Like I said these little things have completely changed my life. The worst bit is taking them in and out but it gets easier each time. My vision is perfect again and it is wonderful to see details and peoples features again. It's made my day to day life so much easier.

You really need to make sure your hands are clean before inserting them. I apply them at the table because sometimes I drop the lense when using it and as it's transparent then it is easily lost. You also need to rinse it in the solution each time you drop it as it can pick up bits of dusts and materials while really feels uncomfortable in your eye.

These lenses feel comfortable as soon as they are in my eye. If they still feel a bit picky after a few minutes, it's usually because something has got trapped underneath so I take them out, rinse them in solution and try again.

They never move around in my eye until I physically move them and there's been no worries about losing it. I have never had one ripe or tear and they are really strong despite being thin. Once, when I'd finished with a lense, I rolled it around quite roughly in my fingers and it still remained intact.

They are so comfortable in my eye that for long periods of time, I forget that they are there. Towards the evening, they start to get a bit picky and I use some drops to solve the problem. Despite them being comfortable, I am occasionally aware that they are there and it is a real treat once they are out at night time.

You can't see them in my eyes unlike those horrible saucer sized ones that I had before. They actually make your eyes more beautiful because they make them look bigger and enhance the eye colour somehow. I've had a lot more compliments since wearing them and people have commented on my eye colour a lot.

I think they have made me look much more approachable too. Because I couldn't see properly before, I used to keep my head down and avoid eye contact (partly because I couldn't see people's eyes!) and as I was squinting a lot, I probably looked quite shifty. A lot more people come and talk to me now than before, whether it's to ask for directions or just to chat.

I've only ever experienced one problem with these lenses. I was on a train for two hours and read constantly for the whole time wearing these lenses. When I took them out, my eyes really hurt and it continued to hurt even with my eyes closed. I assume that the rubbing action as my eyes moved left to right as I read had hurt the inside of my eyelids in the same way as shoes can rub your feet if you walk too far. I couldn't wear the lenses for a few days after that but this has only happened once.

All in all, if you want to try lenses, I'd say these are a great place to start. There couldn't be anyone more squeamish than me and I'd never thought I'd be able to wear contacts but it was either or miss out on life. They are strong, comfortable and easy to use after practise. They are gentle and perfect for sensitive eyes and there's no fuss with storing or cleaning the lenses as they go in the bin at the end of the day. These lenses are a fantastic, hassle free way to gaining better eyesight.