How To Wear Contact Lenses Correctly? Dos And Dont’s

1. Wash your hands

Make it a point to wash your hands thoroughly both before and after putting in your contact lenses. Our hands touch so many surfaces throughout the day and come in contact with a gazillion types of bacteria, both good and bad. Since you are using your hands to slip your contact lenses into your eyes, there is a good chance that you could transfer these germs onto your eyes. This is why you should definitely make it a point to wash your hands with soap or disinfect it with an alcohol-based soap right before inserting your contact lenses.

2. Use your index finger

It is always advisable to make use of the index finger of your dominant hand in order to insert your contact lenses. Let the concave side of the lens face the upward direction when you place it on your finger. Always make sure to have thoroughly wiped your hands dry after washing them as contact lenses tend to stick to wet fingers and that could create an additional hassle for you. 

3. Place it properly

After you have placed it on your index finger as mentioned above, use the middle finger of the other hand in another push your eyelid upwards, and hold it there. Slowly create contact between the surface of your eyes and the contact lenses. Ensure that the bottom part of the lenses is the first to touch your eyes. After you have placed it on your eyes, gently press it until you can feel it sticking. After you have moved your fingers away, the contact lenses should be able to float in your eyes. Blink a couple of times to nudge it into the right position. 

4. Allow your eyes to get accustomed to them

If you are just beginning to wear contact lenses, then you might have received advice from your doctor to only wear them for one hour a day. Pay heed to this advice. Gradually increase the duration until you are fully sure that your eyes have gotten used to these contact lenses. 

5. Process of removal

While removing too, you should ensure to wash your hands and dry them. Push up your eyelid again, and softly pinch the surface of the lenses using your index and thumb fingers. Try to keep your nails trimmed during this process so that you do not accidentally hurt your eye or even tear the lenses. Then pull out the lenses gradually. You can even ask your lens provider if they have plungers for this process since they make the removal process a lot easier. 

6. Take them out in case of infections or injuries

Wearing lenses during any infections can prove to be detrimental to your eyes. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience pain, bleeding, patchiness, swelling, or even itching. 

Although this process becomes incredibly convenient once you have gotten the hang of it, the initial stages of it can seem very daunting and tedious. Try to use sterile contact solutions and always keep your hands hygienic before and after using them.