Inserting Soft Contact Lenses
General Points:
- Avoid using fingernails to handle your lenses.
- If you’re working near a sink, close the drain.
- Get in the habit of always working with the right lens first to avoid mix-ups.
Wash your hands with a mild soap, rinse completely and dry with a lint-free towel. A wet finger may cause a soft lens to flatten.
Pour the lens and storage fluid from the case into your palm. Inspect the lens for particles, deposits or tears. Place the lens, cup side up, on your dry forefinger.
Determine if the lens is right side out. If it is right side out, the lens’ edge will appear almost straight up. If inside-out, the edges will flare out slightly. Another test is to place the lens on a crack in the palm of your hand and then cup the hand slightly. This will flex the lens. If the edge of the lens curls inwards, it is the correct way out; if the edge curls outwards and wraps onto the palm of the hand, it is inside out. If it is inside out, reverse it.
Insertion - Method 1:
Hold the upper lashes (or lids) to prevent blinking. Pull the bottom eyelid down using your middle finger. Look up so the white part of your eye shows. Place the lens onto the exposed white part of your eye. Look downward to help position the lens, then close your eyes momentarily.
Insertion - Method 2:
Instead of looking up, look straight ahead at the lens and gently place it in the center of your eye. Remove your finger and let go of the lids, bottom lid first, and then top. Look downward to help position the lens, then close your eyes momentarily.
Follow the same steps to insert the other lens
Apply one or two drops of lens lubricant (eye drops) if your lenses feel dry or if blurry vision occurs during wear.
Finally - keep at it, most people succeed eventually! The first two weeks are the worst ;-)
If you are still having difficulty it is often best to return to your eye care practitioner and get them to watch your technique to see if he can suggest any way to improve on it.
Removing Soft Contact Lenses
General Points
- Make sure the lens is centered on your eye before trying to remove it. Cover the other eye; if your vision is blurred, the lens is either off center or not on the eye at all. Locate the lens with a mirror and re-center it.
Pull Down Lower Eyelid
Look upward, keeping your head level. Pull down the lower lid of your eye with your middle finger.
Slide Lens Down - While looking up, place the tip of your index finger on the lower edge of the lens and slide it down onto the lower white part of your eye.
Pull Lens Off Eye - Still looking up, squeeze the lens gently between your thumb and index finger. Gently remove the lens from the eye.
Persevere - it gets easier after a few tries! If your eye is going red through trying then have a break for an hour and try again.
Repeat for the left lens
Video - How to Insert a Contact Lens
Wearing Schedule
It is recommended by Opticians that new contact lenses should be worn no more than two hours on the first day. Increase wearing time by 1 hour per day up to a maximum wearing time of 8 hours.
Cleaning Soft Contact Lenses
Contactlenses.co.uk recommends Complete Moisture Plus for the care of your lenses
Complete Moisture Plus Contact Lens solution is used to clean, rinse, disinfect, store, remove protein and condition your lenses with lasting comfort.
Cleaning/Rinsing
Remove your lenses (as detailed above) and simply rinse with Complete solution. You can remove any deposits more effectively by rubbing your lenses gently while you rinse.
Soaking
Place your lenses in the correct chamber of the lens case.
Fill both chambers with Complete solution
Replace Caps
Allow to soak for a minimum of 4 hours
Your lenses are now ready for wear
Discard the used solution and rinse the lens case with Complete solution. Leave the case to air dry.
Storage
You may leave your lenses in the unopened lens case in Complete solution for up to 30 days. After this time cleaning and soaking must be carried out again before wearing your lenses.
Never wash your lenses or case in Tap Water.
