How to Easily Put in Soft Contact Lenses

An easy to follow, complete set of instructions for wearing soft contact lenses.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Prescribed soft contact lenses from your eye care specialist
• A recommended All-In-One cleaning solution for soft contacts
• Contact lens case
• water and antibacterial soap

1. 
   Perscription on the contact lens package

   First, if you are opening a brand new set of lenses from their individual packaging, make sure you double check the prescription on each lens package to ensure you are putting the right lens in the right eye. If your lenses are in a contact lens case set it in front of you with the right eye lens on the right and left eye lens on the left.

2. Wash your hands with antibacterial soap, rinse thoroughly with warm water, and dry. It's best to let your hands air dry, as towels can leave fibers behind.

3. If you are right handed, start with the right lens, and vice versa if you are left handed. Open the packaging/case of the dominating eye contact lens and dump it's contents in the palm of your non dominating hand. Let the solution run out of your palm, leaving only the contact behind. If the contact remains in it's packaging/case after you've dumped the solution out, gently with your dominating hand, remove the contact with the pad of your forefinger and place it on the palm of the other hand.

4. Inspect the lens for any tears.

5. Clean each side of the contact lens by rubbing gently in a circular motion with the pad of your dominating hand's forefinger for 20-30 seconds with the All-In-One solution recommended by your doctor. If this is the first use of your contact lenses this step is optional, but afterward this practice is preferred to clean away any protein build up that can make wearing contact lenses uncomfortable.

6. Rinse each side of the lens.

7. 
   The left image is a contact rightside out. The right image is a contact inside out.

   With the pad of the forefinger of your dominate hand scoop the lens up, ensuring the lens is right side up. The lens will naturally want to be right side up, not inside out, but to make sure look at the lens carefully. If it looks like a small bowl then the lens is the right way. If the lens looks like it's curving out then it is inside out.

8. 

   With your opposite arm reach around your head and with your forefinger and middle finger pull open the upper eye lip of the eye the contact is going into. Make sure you pull up your eyelashes, too. With the middle finger of your dominating hand pull down on your lower lid, not forgetting about those lashes, as well.

9. With the contact lens still on the pad of your forefinger, place the lens on the pupil of your eye. Some people find it easier to look up slightly and place the contact just below the pupil and move it over top of the pupil once the lens is safely on the eye.

10. Release your eyelids and blink. If there are any air bubbles between the lens and your eye they will come out with that first blink. If you feel like there is something stuck between your lens and eye, like dirt or fibers, then with your eye shut, gently rub your eyelid over your lens to promote removal of the foreign object. If this does not work you may have to remove the lens and start over at step 5.

11. Once you are satisfied repeat with your other lens.

Tips & Warnings

• The FDA recommends that you rub the lens in the palm of your hand with a few drops of solution, even if you are using a "no-rub" product.
• Clean your contact lens case once a month while replacing it every 3 months.
• Watching yourself in front of a mirror is helpful.
• Sometimes you may need additional moisture for your soft contact lens through out the day and will require eye drops. Make sure to only use soft contact lens approved eye drops that your eye doctor recommends.
• Never reuse old solution in your lens case.
• Never touch the nozzle of your contact lens solution
• Try to avoid store brand solutions. While FDA approved, their formulas are subject to alterations. While your doctor may approve of a formula once, the next months formula may be different, and may not meet your individual needs.
• Never wear soft contact lenses longer then their recommended wear use allows.

Resources

• Inserting & Removing Contact Lenses Guidelines for Use (with animation)
• Caring for Soft Contact Lenses

[soanyway]

on 8/21/2009 Great tips & pix. I'm so glad I don't have to wear these! I'm sure I would be forever losing them! LOL