With this guide wearing Contact Lenses will be as easy as eye!

Contact lenses, possibly the greatest invention since the lightbulb? Though we may be a little biased there is no doubt that contact lenses have created an ever-lasting impact on the vision community. Contact lenses allow for perfect vision without the need for wearing spectacles. Don’t get me wrong I love a stylish frame as much as the next person but sometimes we may want a glasses free day, especially those of us with an active lifestyle. With contact lenses you no longer need to deal with your glasses slipping down during exercise or have to sacrifice perfect eyesight because an activity requires you to take your glasses off. Having that choice of not needing to wear glasses everyday can be liberating and contact lenses provide just that.

However, some may find the idea of having to put contact lenses into your eyes, by yourself, rather daunting – once upon a time so did eye!

If you find yourself in that category, then do not fear for your ultimate guide to wearing contact lenses is here! This guide will provide you a fool proof way on how to insert and remove contact lenses with ease. So, without further ado (drumroll please…) I present to you: How Apply & Remove Contact Lenses for Dummies. Please sit back, relax, read, and enjoy.

Congratulations on choosing to wear contact lenses, we at Valli Opticians are so happy to come on this journey with you. Your contact lenses will be safe and comfortable and give you excellent vision as long you follow these next few of steps.

Step 1
Wash your hands thoroughly and ideally dry on a lint free towel before handling your lenses. Remember when it comes to contact lenses hand hygiene is of the upmost importance

Step 2
Make sure the lens is immersed in the solution before removing, if the packaging of your new lens is not sealed for some reason then do not use that contact lens.

Step 3
After taking the lens out of the packaging you will need to make sure that the lens is not inside out. To check, place the lens on your index finger and look at the shape of the contact lens, it should look cup-shaped rather than saucer-shaped with a rim. If the lens is inside out, simply pop it the right way around and you’re ready to go.

Step 4
Place the contact lens on the index finger of your preferred hand, and with the third finger hold down the lower lid. Using your other hand’s index and second finger, hold up the upper lid. Place the lens gently but firmly directly on the centre of your eye (over the cornea/iris/coloured part of the eye). Once completed, close your eye slowly and blink a few times. Don’t worry if you place the lens off-centre on the sclera (the white part of the eye), the contact lens will automatically centre itself. Repeat this process for your other eye.

Top Tip:
Hold the lids from inside the eyelash line, this will keep the lashes well out of the way and give more control.

Step 5
It’s been a long day and it’s now time to remove your lenses. Once again do not forget to wash and dry your hands before starting. Look up and hold down the lower lid. Slide the lens down onto the white of the eye before gently pinching it and lifting it out with the pads of your forefinger and thumb. Repeat for your other eye.

Please watch the video that accompanies this blog.

So, there we have it, a simple, fool proof guide which will make inserting and removing contact lenses easy as eye. Hope that joke wasn’t too cornea…

Blog written by Hinaa Munshi, BSc Optometry student at the University of Huddersfield