an applied surfactant coating on flange 38 of the front curve mold half 30 the surfactant may be applied through the intermediary of an apparatus and method as described in copending u s patent application ser no 08 258 263 now u s pat no 5 542 978 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference during a precuring procedure with the mold halves being again clamped together subsequent to initial assembly thereof the polymerization mixture is then exposed to actinic light preferably from a uv lamp typically the mold halves 30 40 are clamped for approximately 40 seconds with 30 seconds of actinic radiation at the completion of the precure step the polymerization mixture has formed a partially polymerized gel with polymerization initiated throughout the mixture following the precure step the monomer solvent mixture is then cured in a uv oven apparatus 22 as shown in fig1 and 2 whereby polymerization is completed in the monomer s this irradiation with actinic visible or ultraviolet radiation produces a polymer solvent mixture in the diminished shape of the final desired hydrogel lens after the polymerization process is completed the two halves 30 40 of the mold are separated during a demolding step leaving the contact lens in the first or front curve mold half 30 from which it is subsequently removed it should be mentioned that the front and back curve mold halves are used.