Contact Lenses

[missbrokensmile]

I don't know whether this is appropriate to post in this forum (because I know a lot of other forums don't allow this sort of topic to be posted) but I am not asking for advice (which is why it's usually banned), but rather, what exactly happens in the process... Which I hope is okay.

In Australia, I've probably tried on about 20 different pairs of contacts, but none of them fit me. But my eyeball is unusually steeper than regular Australian people... my eyeball gradient/curvature is more kind of like an Asian eye, I guess? So, I was wondering, would it be possible for me get contact lenses (or at least see if any brands fit) during my holiday trip to China? How does health care work in China? Is it expensive? Is it reliable? Is it safe? Is it actually possible for me to do this?

I'd love any sort of feedback!

[anonymoose]

I can't say much about this, except that there are plenty of opticians shops all over the place, and contact lenses are very widespread over here, so you shouldn't have a problem finding them.

[roddy]

You can just walk into an opticians, tell them what you want, and they'll sell it to you - they're unlikely to ask for a prescription or check that you know how to put them in and so on. I usually get a supply overseas (cheaper) but one time I walked into an opticians expecting to go through a whole eye-testing and training routine - they just whipped off the specs I was wearing, figured out a prescription from that (which I'm pretty sure you're NOT meant to do), gave me a couple of boxes of lenses, and sent me on my merry way.

You could have a look at something like Eyesee.com.cn to see what products are available here, but to be honest I doubt there's much of a difference.

[whereishunter]

I agree with Roddy in that its easy to buy contact lenses, and I buy the same brand/ Lenses as I do in NZ/Australia.

Also I have not noticed any difference with the shape compared to other countries.

[abcdefg]

But my eyeball is unusually steeper than regular Australian people... my eyeball gradient/curvature is more kind of like an Asian eye, I guess?

I don't think this assumption is correct. The difference in appearance between the eyes of Asians and the eyes of Westerners has more to do with the surrounding tissues (eyelids and such) than it does with the shape of the eyeball itself.

[clevermae]

Quote:

But my eyeball is unusually steeper than regular Australian people... my eyeball gradient/curvature is more kind of like an Asian eye, I guess?

I don't think this assumption is correct. The difference in appearance between the eyes of Asians and the eyes of Westerners has more to do with the surrounding tissues (eyelids and such) than it does with the shape of the eyeball itself.

This is also the first time I have heard of steep eyeball/curvature being associated with Asians. I also don't think this is correct. The curvature of your eyeball, I think, is more related to genes and not really about the race. What really depends on race is the color of the iris and the eyelids.

Don't Australian optometrists make custom contact lens for people with big and steep eyeballs like you?