How to Put in Contact Lenses
Glasses give you clear vision, but if you don’t like the weight they put on your face or how you look while wearing them, one great alternative is to use contact lenses. Putting them in can be a challenging task, though, if you don’t know how to do it. Here’s how.
What You’ll Need:
Contact lenses
Contact case
Contact solution
Mirror
Clean, lint-free towel
Soap
Eyedrops
Glasses (so if you drop your contacts accidentally, you won’t have a hard time finding them again)
Procedure:
Find a clean and neat surface to work on. Otherwise, you might lose the lens when you drop it, or it might become contaminated. Get your mirror ready, too. If possible, use a magnifying mirror, to make the task easier.
Wash your hands with soap and water. Don’t use soap with moisturizers or fragrant chemicals, though, because they can coat up on the contact lenses over time. Opt for a gentler kind. It’s best to use liquid soap, since it contains less oils. After washing, dry your hands on a clean and lint-free towel. Don’t use tissue, since it leaves small pieces behind.
Take out one contact from the case. You must take them out one at a time. One trick is to open only one side and remove the lens, to make sure you don’t mix them up.
Check if the lens is for your left or right eye. Make it a habit to start with the same eye and the dominant hand. For example, if you’re left-handed, put on the left contact lens first, using your left hand.
Remove the lens from the case gently, by dabbing with your finger or pouring it out. Never dig out the lens, to avoid tearing and damaging it.
Make sure the lens isn’t inside out. Check the shape of the edges. If it’s oriented properly, the edges are rounded, and the lens resemble a bowl. If it’s inside out, it’ll look like a pasta plate, with the edges sharp and flaring outwards.
Balance the lens on your dominant hand’s index finger, the edges up. At the same time, use your other index finger to hold the upper lid open, reaching from overhead. Hold it as well as the lashes against your eyebrow.
Use your dominant hand’s middle finger to hold the lower lid, downwards, putting it out of the way. Then, move your chin downwards too, towards the chest. Keep your eyes on the mirror, so it’s at a slightly upward angle.
Move the lens towards your eye, in a steady and calm motion. Don’t blink and stay relaxed. You can look upwards, to make it easier. Once it’s on the eye, gently move and slide it towards the cornea (the colored part of the eye). Let go of the bottom first, before the top, to avoid painful air bubbles from forming.
Take your finger back, keeping your eyes open. Let go of your lids gently, your eyes looking towards the floor.
Blink to adjust the lens, but do it slowly so you won’t dislodge it. If it feels wrong or it hurts, remove it then repeat the process.
Do the same for the other contact lens.
Tips:
Put in your contacts before putting on makeup, then take them out after you’ve removed the makeup.
If the contact falls, rinse it with contact solution.
Ask your ophthalmologist or optometrist to help you put on the contact lenses for the first time.
Don’t wear your contact lenses for long periods of time. Don’t wear them while you sleep.
You’ll always see clearly if you know how to put on contact lenses correctly. Just follow these tips carefully and you’ll have the 20/20 vision you need.