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Wearing and Caring for Contact Lenses
It might not be as simple as popping on a pair of spectacles, but for new users, wearing and caring for your contact lenses isn’t as scary as it might seem! As long as you follow the correct hygiene routines for contact lens wear and care, you’ll be able to safely wear your contact lenses as often or as little as you like.
Wash Your Hands
The most important aspect of contact lens wear and care is cleanliness. You should always wash and dry your hands before inserting or removing your lenses. This will greatly reduce the risk of infection and irritation.
Many long-term contact lens wearers will agree that even a minuscule speck of dirt can cause noticeable irritation if caught under a lens. So, if you’re touching your eyes on a day-to-day basis, it’s important to ensure all germs and residue are removed lest you transfer them to your eyes.
Wear Within the Time Limits
All contact lenses are different. From daily contact lenses to monthlies, each set of lenses is designed to last for a certain number of days or weeks. It’s important not to exceed this allocated time, as this can likewise lead to irritation and eye infections.
Daily contact lenses must be removed every night before bed. Contact lenses are usually good for 8-10 hours of continual use before you’ll feel the need to remove them. Daily contact lenses don’t require cleaning – they’re disposable, designed to be inserted only once before removing.
You can wear bi-weekly and monthly lenses for much longer, but these also require removal before sleep and purchasing contact lens solutions for cleaning between each insertion.
Cleaning Your Bi-Weekly or Monthly Contact Lenses
Bi-weekly and monthly lenses must be cleaned and sterilised every night after removal. Here’s some quick tips on how to clean your contact lenses safely:
- With clean hands, remove your lenses
- Put a few drops of contact lens solution onto each lens. Massage it into the lens for around 20 seconds.
- Rinse the lens with a few more drops of solution.
- Place your contact lenses in your contact lens case. Ensure the case is clean and is filled with fresh solution.
- Never use tap water, saliva or re-used solution to clean your lenses, as this will lead to infection. Use fresh and sterile contact lens solution only.
How to Put in Contact Lenses
There are a handful of methods you can use to safely insert your contact lenses, but here’s our quick guide to the most common and comfortable way of putting in your contact lenses:
- Remove the contact lens from its container. Place your finger in the contact lens solution and gently slide the lens out from the case.
- Place the contact lens on the tip or pad of your index finger, dome down, edges up. Make sure it is not inside out. There should be no curling around the edge of the contact lens.
- With your free hand, place your fingers just above your lash line and gently raise the eyelid up.
- With the hand you’re holding the contact lens with, use your middle finger to gently lower your bottom eyelid.
- Use your index finger to insert the lens: Look away from the lens before inserting, place the contact lens on the white of your eye, then move your eyes around to adjust and remove any air bubbles.
The contact lens might feel strange for a few seconds while it adjusts – don’t worry this is normal, however if you feel any prolonged irritation, remove the lens and check for signs of dirt or damage. Clean as necessary, make sure the lens is the right-way-round, and insert again. Do not insert a damaged or torn contact lens as it will likely lead to irritation and heighten the risk of infection.
Don’t rush the process of inserting your contact lenses. Patience is key and will make the insertion process much smoother, especially if you’re new to wearing contact lenses.
How To Remove Contact Lenses
Removing your contact lenses is often quicker and easier than inserting them. Just follow these simple steps:
- With clean hands, lower the bottom lash line.
- Use your index finger to gently drag the contact lens downwards.
- The contact lens will likely crumple slightly. From here, you’ll be able to remove it easily with your index finger and thumb.
- Alternatively, drag the contact lens downwards and use your finger and thumb to gently “pinch” the lens off.
Different methods work better for different people. If you run into difficulty, there are numerous variations of this technique available to try. Alternatively please feel free to contact us directly and one of our in-house opticians will be able to help guide you further.
