How to apply contact lens
- Wash hands with soap and dry with a lint free towel.
- Check that the lens is not inside out: to do this place the lens on the tip of your finger and hold it up to the light, if the edges flare out, it’s inside out. It should look like a bowl with straight edges.
- Gently hold your upper eyelid with one finger so you don’t blink or get your eyelashes in the way, and carefully pull down your lower eyelid with your other fingers.
- Move the contact lens towards your eye steadily. Look upward as you place it on your eye, and slowly release your eyelid and close your eye for a moment to allow the lens to settle. Repeat for your other eye.
- If the contact lens feels like it’s moving when you blink this is usually due to dryness in the eye. Use eye drops that are suitable for contact wearers (re-wetting drops) and apply a few drops to the eye, keeping the eye closed gently rub the outside of the eyelid a few times. Repeat whenever you feel dryness.
Note:
Decorative contact lenses just change the look of your eyes. They do not correct your vision. They can temporarily change your brown eyes to blue or make your eyes look like cat eyes or vampire eyes for Halloween. Wearing decorative contact lenses can be risky, just like the contact lenses that correct your vision.
Wearing any kind of contact lenses, including decorative ones, can cause serious damage to your eyes if the lenses are obtained without a prescription or not used correctly.
When wearing any type of contact lenses, be aware of signs of possible eye infection, which include:
• Redness
• Pain in the eye(s) that doesn’t go away after a short period of time
• Decreased vision
If you have any of these signs, you need to see a licensed eye doctor (optometrist or ophthalmologist) right away! An eye infection could become serious and cause you to become blind if it is not treated.
- Make-up should be applied after lens insertion.
- Lenses should be removed before removing make-up.
- A fast-drying, fibre free mascara is recommended.
- Eye shadow in cream form or as a compact powder has been shown to be the best type for lens wearers.
- Liquid eye-liner can lead to some tinting of soft contact lenses.
- Eye-colour pencil should not be applied directly on edge of lower eyelid better to apply on edge of lower eyelash.
- For removal of eye make-up, it is best to use a rich eye make-up remover or water-soluble cleaning emulsions.
- Hand creams, sunscreens and nail polish remover should not be allowed to come into direct contact with the lenses; they can penetrate the lens.
- Care should be used when applying deodorant spray, hair spray, perfume, etc.
- Aerosols should be avoided when lens case or lens care bottles are standing open. Eyes should be closed when spraying!
- Don’t instill medicated eye drops while wearing contact lenses. Ask an optometrist for advice.
- Don’t use tap water, bottled water or homemade saline solutions on contact lenses or the lens case.
- Don’t put contact lenses in your mouth or moisten them with saliva.
- Don’t share contact lenses with others.
- Don’t smoke. Smoking can increase the risk of corneal infection
- Important. Stop using your contact lenses and consult a doctor or optometrist promptly if you have: – Eye discomfort or pain – Continuous excess tear production – Eye redness – Sensitivity to light – Itching, burning, or gritty feelings in an eye – Blurred vision – Swelling in or around the eyes – Discharge from an eye. If an eye is injured while wearing a contact lenses, the lens should be removed by a trained health professional..
- NEVER sleep with your contact lenses in unless your optometrist has specifically advised that you can. Sleeping in the wrong type of lenses can cut off the oxygen supply to your cornea, causing severe inflammation and possibly permanent damage.