How to Put on Contact Lenses

Thought of anything touching your eye can be frightening, but wearing contacts lenses are usually more comfortable than wearing glasses. When you get over the initial fear of placing them in your eye, you will be astounded as to how much more crisply you can see. These steps are easy to follow and have tricks to help you overcome your fear.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Freestanding Mirror
• Clean table, vanity or countertop.
• Saline or Multi-purpose Solution
• Rewetting drops
• 15 mins.

1. Begin with clean dry hands. Do not use lotioned or oily soap that leaves behind a residue.

2. Place clean paper towels on a table or vanity in front of a mirror. Try to get as close as you can to the mirror, preferably in a sitting position.

3. Let's get familiar with touching your eye and dismiss the fear and blinking. Place the middle finger of your dominant hand on the lower eyelash line of your right eye and pull down. With the index finger of the same hand, gently touch and press the white portion (sclera) of your eye until it moves.

4. Repeat the above step until your urge to blink when your finger approaches your eye diminishes. See? That didn't hurt at all! You are ready to move on.

5. The sclera is where you will place the contact lenses. Beginning with your right contact, remove it from the case and place it on the right index finger. Make the lens sit like a bowl on your finger by softly pinching it at the edges like a taco. It works better when your finger is dry.

6. 

   Hold the contact up towards the light. Examine its edges. An inside out lens will have an edge that flips out like the edges of a rose petal. Make sure the edge is pointing up.

7. With the middle finger of the same hand, pull the lash line down exposing the bottom part of the sclera.

8. Next, place your middle finger of your left hand on the lash line of the top lid and pull up.

9. While sitting as close as possible to the mirror, begin to move the lens towards your eye. Right when you are about to make contact look up and tap the contact on to the sclera. DO NOT LET GO OF YOUR EYELIDS.

10. All for corners of the contact should be suctioned to your eye at this point. Relax and overcome the urge to blink. Hold firm to your lash line.

11. Begin to rotate your eye down into the contact lens. Keep looking downward and release first your lower lid, then your upper. Blink now but quickly use rewetting drops to sooth the eye.

12. Repeat the same steps for the left eye only when placing the contact on the eye lookup and towards the nose. Try to place the contact on outer lower corner of the eye. You should not switch hands.

Tips & Warnings

• Drying your finger allows the contact to lift off easier and adhere to the eye.
• Actually hold your lids by the lashes. This will give you extra leverage against blinking.
• Try to place the contact on the eye unfolded with the entire outer edge touching the eyeball.
• Get a partner that can verbally guide you to look into the contact lens. They will also help you to stay focused and ease frustration.
• Always begin with the right eye to develop a habit that will ensure you don't switch the prescriptions.
• There is no such thing as a contact going to the back of your eye.
• If the contact moves to an area the you cannot comfortable reach, simply close your eye. The muscles in your lids will force the contact to the front.
• Sometime very nervous contact lense wearers benefit greatly from having their first insertion put on by another person.
• usually once you experience wearing them for the first time, the insertion process is easier.
• Never share your contacts, even if they have no power or prescription.
• Enjoy crisper vision.