NEW TO CONTACT LENSES?
Getting the hang of your contacts can be difficult at first, but using this page to figure out a routine that works for you will make it easier.
Inserting Contacts
Cleaning & Care
When to change
There are plenty of reasons to start wearing contact lenses. Maybe it’s the way they make you look, or that you just need them occasionally. Whatever your reason, to get the most out of your lenses there are some simple things you should remember to do!
Inserting Contacts
Always wash your hands thoroughly before applying your contact lenses. Avoid soaps that are scented or contain lanolin and moisturizing lotions, which can adhere to your lenses.
- With contacts, you want to make sure they are shaped like a “bowl” and not like a “taco”. If the lenses are flared out, the contact lens is backwards. You want to make sure you are always inserting your lenses correctly and not inside out.
- Using your non- dominant hand, gently push your lower lid down and upper lid up. You want to make sure your bottom and top eyelashes are out of your way when inserting your contacts.
- Your contact lens should be on your fingertip, sitting on the edge of your dominant hand. Gently take the contact and place it directly on your pupil.
- You can also look up and slowly slide the contact from the white part of your eye to the pupil. Once the contact is on your eyes, look around to get any “air bubbles” out of the contact lens.
- You can also close your eyes and gently press on the upper lid.
Removing Contacts
- Always wash your hands before removal of contacts. It is best to wash hands with soap that is antibacterial and does not have any perfumes, dyes, or tints.
- Using your dominant hand, gently push your lower lid down and upper lid up. You want to make sure your bottom and top eyelashes are out of your way when you are removing your contacts.
- Bring your index finger to your eye slowly touch the contact lens.
- Contact lenses are like suction cups and will stick to the surface of your pupil. To break this suction you will need to gently apply pressure.
- Once you have your finger on the contact lens gently move the contact away from the pupil to the side of your eye, where the whiteness of your eye is.
- Gently squeeze the lenses with your index finger and thumb to completely remove the contact.
- Repeat for your second eye.
Take Proper Care of Your Contacts
You must clean and disinfect any contact lens you remove from your eye before you put the lens back in. There are many types of cleansing systems. The choice depends on the type of lens you use, if you have allergies or if your eyes tend to form protein deposits. Ask your eye doctor what kind of cleaning solutions you should use.