Guide To Inserting Contact Lenses For First Time Users

Are you afraid to trade in your eyeglasses for contact lenses? Placing a small disc onto your eye can be very unnerving for first time users. Some people are also afraid of feeling like there's something stuck in their eye all day during wear. Long-term discomfort, however, is often just the result of the fear of irritation rather than any actual pain. It may take a few attempts, but once a user gets over their natural instinct to avoid touching their eyes, wearing contact lenses will feel much more comfortable and natural than a bulky pair of glasses.

When placing the contact lenses in, you should always wash and dry your hands thoroughly with soap and water. It may be better to air dry so no fibers from a towel become stuck on your hands. If you're very worried about irritation, pick a soap that is free of scents, coloring, or moisturizers so you won't risk residue getting into your eye. Antibacterial soap or gels should not be used as they can strip away essential protective natural bacterium that is located on the surface of the eye.

Sit down in front of a mirror and make sure there is plenty of light. You should have a bottle of saline solution to give them a final rinse and some lubrication. Take a lens and give it a squirt of saline. Gently move the lens in the liquid to help remove any debris and dust, coating both sides in the solution. Place the lens on the very tip of your dominant hand's index finger with the edge pointing inwards. Use your other hand to hold open both your eyelids with your thumb and index finger. Bring the lens towards your eye.

Many people find it helpful to actually look away from the incoming finger, placing the lens slightly to the outside of the iris rather than squarely in the center. If you blink and miss a few times, keep rinsing between tries to remove dirt, and wait a few minutes before trying again. Poking or blinking too much will cause redness and irritation, so be patient during the process. As soon as contact lenses hit the eye, as long as they are not flipped inside out, they will slide like a magnet into the proper position. Initially you may find your eyes watering or feeling irritated for a few seconds. Flushing out the eyes with some saline solution can help soothe the eyes.

After wearing the contact lenses for a few hours most people can't feel a thing. They normally will only shift out of place if the eyes become too dry or if they are rubbed too hard. Removing them, however, can be a bit more difficult for first timers and may initially cause much mild irritation. The easiest method is to slide the lens off the pupil towards the eye white and then pinch it with the thumb and forefinger as if you were folding it into a taco and it should pop out.