Even if you’ve been wearing contacts for years, knowing how to put in contact lenses can be a little tricky. Like trying to put one in while it’s inside out. Or, going through an entire day wondering why everything is so blurry and then realizing that you have somehow mixed up the right and the left and they are in the wrong eyes. Even routine handling can be precarious. You get so used to the daily regimen that you begin handling them a little rougher than you should and then you are completely surprised when one tears.
If you are brand new to contact lenses, it may seem that you spend more time taking them back out because one doesn’t feel comfortable or even worse, it doesn’t stay in your eye at all and seems to pop out on it’s own! If you fall into this category, then it may be that you are not following some basic contact lens rules.
There are many substances that can contribute to that uncomfortable feeling when putting in your contact lenses. First, it is essential that you never handle your contact lenses without having clean hands. Dirty, greasy or oily fingers can embed foreign particles into your lenses that will be very difficult to remove. And never wash your hands with soap that is oily or has moisturizers or is heavily perfumed. In essence, you will just be exchanging oily, dirty hands with oily, clean hands.
Never put your contacts in your mouth to “clean” them in a pinch. Your saliva will do more harm than good to your contact lenses. Make it a habit to keep a small vial of contact lens re-wetting drops in your purse or pocket. Not only can it be used for dry, irritated eyes, but it can also act as a lubricant for putting in a contact lens that has become dirty.
Learn how to tell the difference between a contact that is right side out and one that is not. Putting in a contact lens that is reversed can cause immediate discomfort. There are a few different ways to tell if your contact lens is inside-out. Some manufacturers etch their logo or name into the edge of the lens. If you can read it and it is not backwards, then the contact is in the correct position. The most common way of differentiating if the contact lens is correct or inside out is to hold it out in front of you at eye level as it is cupped on the tip of your finger. If the lens is correct, the bowl shape will be in the form of a “U”. If the “U” shape flares out at the edges, then it is inside out.
And finally, eliminating the possibility of accidentally switching your contacts and wearing them in the wrong eye is accomplished by adhering to a strict regimen. From the very first day you wear your contact lenses, always practice the habit of making one eye the eye that you always start with. Most right-handed people will always begin with the right eye. Eventually, this part of your daily routine will become just that, routine. If you always begin with the same eye every day then how to put in contact lenses will be the easiest part of your day. Now, on to harder things, like what to wear!