What the coating maker says
Hydra-PEG is a surface coating that helps tears spread evenly over a lens. For what it is and what studies show, see what is a scleral lens surface coating?
Tangible Science, which makes Hydra-PEG, says the coating is permanently bonded to the lens and designed to last for the lens’s lifetime. It also lists factors that can shorten how long its benefits last:[1]
- Your tear composition, for example if you’re a heavy depositor.
- Cleaners or rewetting drops that aren’t compatible with the coating.
- Vigorous rubbing during cleaning.
- Tap water.
- Storing lenses dry, or without a compatible solution.
The maker also says rubbing a coated lens with plain saline may wear the coating, because saline has no lubricants or surfactants, and that coated lenses should never be stored dry.[1]
Signs it’s wearing
Wearers most often describe:
- The lens feels less slippery, on the finger and on the eye.
- Water beads or pulls away in patches instead of spreading in a smooth sheet.
- Film, smears, or haze come back sooner in the day than they used to.
- The lens feels drier or grittier late in the day.
These signs aren’t specific. Deposits, scratches, eyelid disease, or a change in fit can cause the same things. That’s why it’s worth having your fitter look at the lens before assuming the coating is the problem.
Boost vs recoating
These are different things.
A monthly boost treatment. Tangible Boost is a prescription-only monthly treatment for Hydra-PEG coated lenses. The maker says it restores and conditions the existing coating and prolongs its benefits. The routine is a short soak, then overnight disinfection in a multipurpose solution before wear; it isn’t a disinfectant.[2] The maker also says Boost works best when used from the start of new lens wear, and results may be less noticeable on older lenses or with inconsistent use.[1]
Recoating. This means sending the lens back to have the coating applied again. Whether it’s possible depends on the lab that made your lens and sometimes on the lens’s age. It goes through your fitter, and your lens is away while it’s done, so plan with a backup pair or glasses.
What wearers say
Experiences vary more than almost any other topic. Some wearers report a coating still going strong after more than a year with gentle care and monthly boosting. Others, often with very dry eyes or heavy deposits, say the coating on the front of the lens wears off within weeks or a couple of months, even with boosting. Several noticed that brand-new coated lenses felt very slippery or unusual at first, which settled.
Views on boost treatments split too: many feel a clear difference and use it on a schedule; some feel it does little once the coating is already worn. Wearers who had lenses recoated describe it going through their fitter and taking some time, and others were told their lab doesn’t recoat. A handful chose uncoated lenses after finding the coating didn’t last in their eyes, and a few turned out to react to the coating itself.
The most common cause of a coating wearing off fast, wearers say, was a product that wasn’t compatible: an abrasive or alcohol-based cleaner, or an enzymatic protein remover.
Do
- Check every new product against the coating maker's compatible list.
- Rub gently with a compatible multipurpose solution if your routine includes rubbing.
- Keep coated lenses stored wet in a compatible solution.
- Ask your fitter before starting or skipping a boost treatment.
Don’t
- Don't use abrasive, alcohol-based or enzymatic cleaners on coated lenses unless your fitter says so.
- Don't rub coated lenses with plain saline or rinse them with tap water.
- Don't let coated lenses dry out in storage.
- Don't soak in a boost treatment longer than the label says.
For the full compatibility picture, see cleaners and coated lenses and storing scleral lenses.
What to ask your fitter
- “Is my lens coated, and with what?”
- “Does the lab that made my lenses recoat them, and how long does it take?”
- “Would a boost treatment help me, and how often?”
- “Is this film or haze the coating wearing, or something else?”
When it’s not normal
Common questions
Can I keep wearing a lens after the coating has worn off?
Often, yes. The lens itself still works; it may just wet less well, fog or film sooner, or feel less comfortable. Ask your fitter to check the lens, since the same symptoms can come from scratches, deposits, or a change in fit.
Can I soak my lenses in a boost treatment overnight to get more out of it?
No. Tangible Boost is a short soak, followed by overnight disinfection in a multipurpose solution before you wear the lenses. It isn't a disinfectant. Follow the label exactly.
Does hydrogen peroxide strip Hydra-PEG?
The coating maker lists some peroxide systems as compatible. Check the maker's current list and your fitter's instructions, because not every peroxide product or variant is listed. Our cleaners and coated lenses page goes through compatibility in detail.
Should I get Hydra-PEG on my next lenses at all?
Ask your fitter. Many wearers with dry eye or poor lens wetting find it helps; some find it wears off so fast in their eyes that they choose uncoated lenses, and a few react to it. Some fitters add it only once the fit is final.