Tips for new contact wearer?

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

So... I'll be having my yearly eye exam and opted for some contacts for the first time. I'll be having the special exam and I guess a little class on how to wear them.

I know they'll show me how to put them in and take them out.

I have heard horror stories about it taking people an hour to get them in and out! Any tips so that I'm not sitting there forever trying?

 

[Deb in IA]

Use a lot of re-wetting drops until you get used to them.

 

[brookmey]

Don't be squeamish when you're taking the contacts in and out. It took me a long time to convince myself that I wasn't actually touching my eyeball. LOL

What works for me is holding the contact on my right forefinger (for the right eye), pulling down the bottom of my eye with my right index finger and popping the contact in. For some people it helps to look up while you're doing it.

The hardest part at first for me was making sure the contact was not flipped inside out. It hurts when it's in your eye if it is. My dr. told me if the edges look like they're turned out instead of straight up, then it is inside out.

Also, using eye drops helped me a lot at first because I was always blinking. That went away as my eyes got used to the contacts.

Good luck. I'm sure you'll be really happy with your decision!

 

[cfriend416]

Keep your fingernails short. If your nails get too long, you'll be grabbing the lens with your nails rather than your finger. It's harder to pick the lens up off your eye, and you have a greater chance of scratching your cornea. When I was 18, I actually pinched and pulled on my cornea with my nails because I didn't release I didn't have the lens. Probably the stupidest thing I've ever done. I smartened up after that.

 

[phamton]

I use a lighted makeup mirror so I can see what I am doing. Best tip from me: Make sure you put them in and take them out over a counter so when you drop them (and you will occasionally) you can find them. If you drop one on the floor, it is hard to see where it landed so find a small area for them to fall in like a counter or table.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

An hour to learn? Lucky. It probably took me 2 hours to learn how to do it.


Once you get the hang of it... the next challenge is to try to put them in without opening your mouth, I guess it is the same concept as mascara.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Thanks everyone! I am excited but also nervous.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Wash and dry your hands before you take them in and out.

When you can't feel them, they are in perfect! I kept wanting to feel them to know they were "in."

Be careful now of the eye make-up you use. Anything that flakes can cause issues, like an older mascara.

Don't panic if you can't get them out. This doesn't help at all and makes it worse. Wait about three minutes and try again. Sometimes they just get such a great fit that it is hard to get them off the first few weeks. Just add some more drops and try again.

 

[Diane♥Disney]

Sometimes it may take a few tries to get them in so they are comfortable. I found it easiest to take them out by sliding the lens to the side and then pinching it out.

 

[WorldWacky]

Don't panic if you can't get them out. This doesn't help at all and makes it worse. Wait about three minutes and try again. Sometimes they just get such a great fit that it is hard to get them off the first few weeks. Just add some more drops and try again.

This is probably one of the best pieces of advice right here. There WILL be times that it seems like you'll never get them out. I've been wearing contacts for 23 years and for me, when I use a new pair they feel a little slippery for about a week. Just keep calm. You will eventually get them out.
Also, I don't know if others feel this way, but now after so many years of wearing contacts, I don't feel completely "dressed" for the day if I have to wear my glasses for some reason. I recently had to wear my glasses for two days and hated it!

 

[sunshine1178]

Don't take them out immediately after a dinner of Asian Zing chicken wings, or any other spicy finger food!

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Don't take them out immediately after a dinner of Asian Zing chicken wings, or any other spicy finger food!

This is probably the advice I need the most.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

Your contacts can't get lost in your head. If you forget you are wearing them and do something like rub your eye, making the contact get lost, the first thing to do is relax. Figure out which part of your eye is now irritated and look in the opposite direction while holding your eyelid open. Use a finger to slide the contact back to the right part of your eye.

A good thing to keep in mind - as long as you are gentle, touching the white part of your eye doesn't hurt.

 

[mom2rtk]

Be patient. Leave yourself lots of time so you are not rushed in those early days. My daughter started wearing them at age 11. It would take her FOREVER to get them in and out at first. But within a week or so she was much better and now it's just old hat to her.

 

[firecracker725]

An hour to learn? Lucky. It probably took me 2 hours to learn how to do it.


Once you get the hang of it... the next challenge is to try to put them in without opening your mouth, I guess it is the same concept as mascara.

Me too. Sixteen years later, I can put them in with no mirror on the first try.

 

[JillyBean1899]

I got mine in with hardly any trouble (once you have it on your finger, put a drop of rewetting drops on it, the liquid will help it suction to your eye; for a while I was having trouble getting it to "stick" to my eye because my finger was still wet from the solution), but getting it back out was a whole 'nother ball of wax. I panicked and actually ended up sleeping in them the first night until I could get back to the eye doctor the next day, and of course it popped right out. Now I only have problems if my eyes are dry.

Rewetting drops will be your best friend until you get used to contacts. Always wash your hands with an unscented soap and dry them on a low lint towel if possible (getting a piece of lint in between your eyeball and contact *SUCKS*). Don't reuse your contact solution, and if you don't wear the lenses for an extended period of time, change the solution at least once a week. I also used one of those enzyme cleaners once a week.

Make sure you have a good pair of UVA/UVB blocking sunglasses. Your eyes will probably be sensitive until you get used to the lenses, so wear them whenever you're outside.

Take a minute to look at the lens on your finger. Then flip it over and see what it looks like that way. That's the easiest way to tell if your lenses are inside out or not. If they're right, they'll look like a cereal bowl (deep and round). If they aren't, they'll look like a fancy ashtray with a "lip" on them (shallow and flat on the edges).

Always do the same eye first. For me it was my left eye in first, because my left eye's vision is so much worse than my right. Then I would take out my right eye's lens first, followed by the left.

Never, ever, *EVER* use tap water to store/rinse your lenses, and never, ever, *EVER* use your spit (yeah, I know that sounds gross, but you'd be surprised what people do). Use only your solution, and make sure the tip doesn't touch anything when you use it. And follow the recommendation for if you can sleep in your lenses (once in a while if you get stuck somewhere without solution won't kill you, but if your lenses aren't rated for overnight wear, try not to do it), and for replacing them. I know some people stretch their lenses out past their toss date because they're expensive, but I don't think my eyesight is worth the risk.

 

[mrodgers]

One thing I found out...

Mine would burn like crazy when I put them in. It would go away after a few minutes, but boy did they burn. Like crazy burn like filling your eye with a gallon of shampoo.

Found out it was the soap I was using to wash my hands. I was using whatever liquid soap my wife bought that we leave on the bathroom sink. It was empty one morning so I grabbed the bar of soap for the bathtub. Eyes didn't burn at all and now I always use a bar of soap (this is what takes up the small pieces after the shower bar has been used up and breaks in half. Perfect for at the sink for contact wearers.)

I was another that took 2 hours to put the stupid things in my eye. I waited until I was 31 years old before I went with contacts because I didn't think I could stick my finger in my eye. Now I can do it 1 handed without a mirror. Just pull the bottom lid down with the middle finger and pop it in.

Someone mentioned having trouble when their finger was wet. I would have that trouble with my old contacts. I would rinse the contact then have a tissue and make sure my finger was completely dry. Place contact on finger, put a drop of saline on the contact taking care not to overshoot the contact and get my finger wet again. Contact would just jump right onto my eye.

My doctor switched me to a different contact. Had trouble at first getting them off my finger and onto my eye. Turns out, now it helps for my finger to be wet with saline solution and the contact slides right off and onto my eye. Weird.

THE BEST cleaner that I use is Clear Care. It is a peroxide cleaner and comes with a special case. I now have contacts I can wear overnight and I take them out once a week and soak them overnight with Clear Care. Previously with my old non-overnight contacts, I used regular sanitizing solution every night and used Clear Care once per week. Warning though, don't EVER USE Clear Care to rinse the contacts! They must be left overnight for the peroxide to neutralize. If using the wrong soap to wash my hands when I first started was like dumping a gallon of shampoo in my eye, using Clear Care to rinse the contact before inserting would be like soaking your eyes with battery acid for a week! I never did it, but a coworker came in with eyes that were terribly red. He grabbed the wrong bottle to use to rewet his eyes (saline) and grabbed the Clear Care bottle instead. Said he thought his eyeballs were going to burst into flames.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Thanks everyone!

It went pretty well. It took a few tries to get them in. Then I took one out. It probably took me like 15 minutes total.

They felt weird. They didn't hurt or anything, but I knew they were there. It felt really dry, so I used a lot of drops.

I had to remove them after three hours. It wasn't as easy as the first time but I got it.

My eyes are pretty red now. Normal though right?

 

[JillyBean1899]

Yup, you've made your eyes angry by putting these weird plasticy things in them, so they're going to be red for a few hours. Just put eye drops in every once in a while, and right before you go to bed, and you should be back to normal in the morning. I've worked my way up to 18 hours in one day (8AM - 2AM while at IoA/USF/HHN in October) and only had problems after about midnight with the smoke in the haunted houses. Just like wearing a dress with itchy lace, it takes some getting used to, then you won't even notice them.

Warning though, don't EVER USE Clear Care to rinse the contacts! They must be left overnight for the peroxide to neutralize. If using the wrong soap to wash my hands when I first started was like dumping a gallon of shampoo in my eye, using Clear Care to rinse the contact before inserting would be like soaking your eyes with battery acid for a week! I never did it, but a coworker came in with eyes that were terribly red. He grabbed the wrong bottle to use to rewet his eyes (saline) and grabbed the Clear Care bottle instead. Said he thought his eyeballs were going to burst into flames.

There's a reason Clear Care has a red tip instead of a white/clear one like normal saline or rewetting drops has I use the same thing, and even blind as a bat me can tell the difference when I pick it up.

 

[minkydog]

I have never worn contacts, but I'm thinking about them. I wear trifocals. My far vision is perfect, but I need two strengths for near vision, a normal one for computer work and a strong one for reading or doing needlework.

Can you even get trifocal contacts?