Top 10 Tips on How to Put on Contact Lenses

If you’re new to contact lenses, you may notice how putting on your lenses can be a little bit challenging. In fact, it’s perfectly natural to think that putting on your lenses can be somewhat scary.

To put it simply, It is against our basic instinct to force our eyes open and put something in it. You could even say that some people just aren’t suitable for contact lenses.

However, if you already have a pair, it’s crucial that you learn how to put on contact lenses.

Additionally, you should learn how to put on contact lenses easily and comfortably. Contact lenses can be very convenient once you get past this first hurdle.

Learning how to put on contact lenses is becoming more of a necessity these days.

Especially because of their rapidly increasing popularity. A report by MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly shows that there are around 45 million Americans who wear contact lenses.

You don’t have to worry if you’re not used to putting your lenses on. All you need is a little help, some clever tips, and a little practice.

In fact, the more that you practice putting your lenses, the more you’ll get better at it.

Eventually, you’ll be so used to putting them on that it’ll feel as easy and natural as breathing air. Now read on and learn how to put on your lenses properly.

1. Wash Your Hands

The first and most important rule for every contact lens owner is to wash your hands. Your eyes are sensitive and your hands are prone to harbor germs and bacteria.

So you should always remember to wash your hands before you touch your contact lenses.

Whether you’re putting them on, taking them off, or simply cleaning them, never forget to wash your hands.

Follow these easy steps to ensure that your hands are germ-free:

• Soak your hands with warm water.
• Rub your hands with soap for around half a minute.
• Rinse off all the soap from your hands.
• Use a clean microfiber towel to dry your hands.
• Make sure you don’t have any lint or particle on your hands after drying them.

2. Carefully Open Your Contact Lens Case

The next step is to remove your contact lenses from your case. If you’re not careful, you can easily mix up or drop your lenses during this step.

To avoid accidentally dropping or losing your lenses, make sure to follow these steps:

• Remove the lid of only one side of your lens case.
• If you’re used to wearing your right lens first, only open the right side of the lens case.
• This will help you avoid losing your other lens in case you drop the case.
• Practice opening and wearing the same side of your lenses first.
• Getting into a habit of wearing one side first will help you naturally create a good flow when you open your case.

3. Take the Lenses Out of Your Case

Unless you’re using hard lenses, you need to handle your contact lenses with care.

Unlike eyeglasses, your contact lenses don’t have a frame to protect the lens, which means that they are more prone to damages.

So always follow these tips whenever you take your lenses out of their case:

• Tile the case towards your direction, and then softly place your finger over your contact lens.
• Once you have your lens on your fingertip, carefully take your lens away from the container and onto the palm of your other hand.
• Make sure that you’re nails are short and clean to avoid scratching your lenses.
• Additionally, if your lens is stuck onto the walls of your case, simply shake the case to loosen it up. You can also add some contact lens solution to drench your lens.

4. Rinse Your Lens with Contact Solution

Using a contact lens solution is a hygienic habit that people tend to forget. In fact, According to a WebMD article, 90 percent of contact lens users do not follow the ideal hygienic standards for proper contact lens care.

Rinsing your lenses with contact solution helps moisten your lenses. This will make it easier for you to put them on.

Remember, dry eyes or dry contact lenses makes putting them on much harder than they should be. After you take out your lens from your case and put it on your palm, do the following:

• Put the contact lens at the center of your palm.
• Drizzle your lens with some contact solution.
• Look at your lens and check to see if it’s free from debris and particles.
• Don’t rub your lenses unless you notice some particles on it.
• If you do see some particles, carefully rub your lenses in a gentle manner.
• Never use tap water to moisten your lenses, only use the right contact lens solution.

5. Check if your lens is inside out

Like your eyeglasses, your lenses have two distinct sides that you should take note of. Wearing your lens inside out will make them ineffective for vision correction.

In fact, wearing them inside out will feel very uncomfortable for your eyes. Do the following to ensure that your lens is not inverted:

• Place the contact lens on your finger and make sure that the curved side is pointing upwards.
• Never put your lens on your fingernail as it may lead to damages. Instead, place the lens on the skin of your finger.
• Make sure that the hollow side of the lens is facing up without any of its walls touching your finger.
• Your contact lens should look like a perfect bowl if it’s correctly in position.
• If the edges of your lens are flaring out, then it’s not on the right side.
• Lenses that are inside out are very easy to fix. Simply put your lens back on your palm, and then carefully flip it to the right side out with your finger.

6. Hold your eyes open with your hand

The first tricky part of how to put on contact lenses is keeping your eyes open.

This can be difficult because your eyes will naturally want to close when you put something near it. Here are a couple of tips that can help you with this dilemma:

• Sit in front of a mirror when you put on your lenses.
• Hold your upper eyelid with one hand to keep it from closing.
• Use your other hand to hold on to your lens.
• Put the lens on your index finger. 
• Use the middle finger of the same hand to pull down your eyelid.
• Make share to have a firm grip on your eyelids to keep them from blinking.

7. Slowly move your lens towards your eye

The feeling of touching your eyes can be a strange and scary moment. In fact, the main challenge of this part is staying calm and keeping your eyes open. Follow these steps to move your lens towards your eye with ease:

• Position your lens near your eye.
• Look upwards to help keep your eyes open.
• Relax and control your breathing to prevent your eyes from blinking.
• Slowly move the lens towards your eye.
• Take a slow and steady pace to avoid your eye’s natural reaction to blink.

8. Gently set your lens on your iris

The eight could arguably be the most challenging part of putting on your contact lenses.

This is mainly due to the fact that it’s against your natural logic to put something on your eye.

However, you shouldn’t worry because a little practice will help you get used to this step. In fact, here are some tips on how to put your lens on your iris:

• Keep your eyes open as you position your lens closer to your eye.
• Softly place your lens on your eye and push it gently.
• The lens should naturally stick eye as soon as it comes into contact with your eye.
• Try to avoid putting your contact on the white part of your eye.
• Make sure you put the contact directly on top of the iris or the black part of your eye.

9. Close your eyes and blink them slowly

After you successfully place your lens in your eye, the next step is to make them sit comfortably. There may be times when the lens doesn’t sit right which can cause some discomfort.

When this happens, you’ll have to readjust your lens by closing your eyes or taking your lenses off. Follow these steps to make your lens sit comfortably in your eye:

• Let go of your eyelids and close your eyes.
• Carefully blink a few times and try not to displace your lens.
• Look straight at a mirror and check if the lens is perfectly on your iris.
• Observe the sensation of having your lens in your eye and check for any feeling of irritation or discomfort.
• If you feel that your lens is causing some itchiness or pain, take it out immediately and rinse it with some contact solution.
• Put your lens back on after you wash it with a contact lens solution.
• If the itch or pain persists, your lens may be compromised or you may even be allergic to your contact lens. When this happens, remove your lenses immediately and have them checked by your eye physician.

10. Use the same steps to put on your other lens

Now that you’ve put on your first lens, it’s time to repeat the process for the other pair. If you’re not confident enough to do it on your own, simply repeat the steps from one to nine.

A few tips on how to put on contact lenses go a long way, especially when you’re a new user.

These tips are applicable to all beginner contact lens users and even long term wearers who just need some tips.

• After you put on both of your lenses, look around your surroundings and check if your vision feels comfortable.
• If everything feels fine with your eyes and vision, clean out your lens case.
• Take your case and pour out the solution into a sink.
• Rinse your case with the right contact lens solution.
• Close your contact lens case.
• Cleaning your contact lens case helps keep your lenses clean and your eyes safe from harm.

Conclusion

Everyone can have their own personalized way of wearing their lenses. In fact, not all of our steps may apply to you.

However, you can use these tips as guidelines to help you with your lenses as you start.

All it takes is a little trial and error before you find your rhythm and method of putting them on.

Finally, contact lenses are a great alternative to eyeglasses, and they offer more than you think. So don’t let the thought of putting on lenses affect your chance to experience them.

If you’re having doubts, just reread our tips and learn the easy steps on how to put on contact lenses. 

References:

Risk Behaviors for Contact Lens–Related Eye Infections Among Adults and Adolescents — United States, 2016

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6632a2.htm

Warning Suggested for Contact Solutions

https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/news/20080610/warning-suggested-for-contact-solutions#1

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