Caring for contact lenses
Contact lenses are designed to fit into your lifestyle; they can become a part of your daily routine but it’s important you take care of them to keep them in the best condition and to protect your eyes from any infection.
Always start by washing, rinsing and drying your hands thoroughly before handling lenses and avoid perfumed or medicated soaps.
After taking out your contact lenses, give them a clean by rubbing them gently with a few drops of solution for around 20 seconds (unless you wear daily disposables). This will remove dust, pollution, make-up and other things that may accumulate on the lens in daily wear. If you are wearing daily disposable lenses, then you can throw them away.
For reusable lenses, then store them in the solution advised by your Optician. Never use tap water, bottled water or saliva on your lenses.
Do not exceed your maximum wearing time, as advised by your Optician, even if your lenses feel comfortable.
If you’re unsure about the best way to look after your lenses, putting them in or taking them out correctly, you can book an appointment or talk to us in store.
Inserting your contact lenses
If you are new to contact lenses or just having a little trouble putting them in, these quick points should help:
Always start with clean dry hands and ensure your fingernails are short, clean and neatly trimmed.
Remove the lens from its storage case/packet and ensure it is visibly clean and not damaged. If you can see a crack or tear in the lens, throw it away and start with a new lens.
Double check that you only insert your right lens into your right eye and vice versa, as you might have different specifications for each eye.
Check to see that the lens isn't inside out, your Optician will demonstrate this to you in your consultation. Place the lens on the tip of your finger, it should be a cup shape, if it looks more like a saucer it is inside out.
Having your eye open wide makes it easier to put the lens in. Using one hand to hold your top eyelid up, and the other to pull the bottom lid down helps to stop you blinking whilst you put the lens in.
With the lens balanced on the tip of your finger, place it directly on the centre of the eye, you won’t have to press the lens onto your eye, it will move into place on it’s own. Looking down, carefully release the lower lid and then upper lid. Keep looking down for a couple of seconds to enable the lens to settle. If the lens does not settle remove the lens and seek advice from your Optician.
Then just repeat on the other eye. Easy!
Taking out your contact lenses
Putting your lenses in is easy enough, but taking them out is even easier. Here are a few tips to help.
Always start with clean dry hands and short fingernails.
For reusable lenses, it helps to already have the lids off your contact lens case in preparation.
For soft contact lens wearers follow these remaining instructions:
Look up, keeping your head level. Pull down the bottom lid of your eye with your middle finger. Keep looking up and place the tip of your index finger on the lower edge of the lens and slide it down onto the lower white part of your eye.
Still looking up, squeeze the lens gently between your thumb and index finger. Gently remove the lens from the eye and either discard or clean and store the lens as advised by your Optician.
For rigid gas permeable lens wearers, follow these instructions to remove your lenses:
Looking straight ahead, open the eye as wide as possible.
- Place your index finger at the outer corner of the eyelid and pull gently and firmly towards the top of the ear. Blink and the lens should fall out into your other hand.