Last Updated: March 18, 2023
Contact lens fitting program recommendations
- Wear your contacts only for the length of time recommended, even if they feel comfortable.
- Remove, clean and disinfect your lenses at the intervals prescribed.
- Only use the cleaning and disinfecting system prescribed by your optometrist.
- Have regular eye examinations.
- Don’t sleep or nap while wearing your contacts unless specifically indicated.
- Don’t use any eye medications or eye drops without consulting your doctor of optometry.
How to insert your soft contact lenses
- Wash your hands with a mild cream-free soap, rinse completely and dry with a lint-free towel.
- Avoid using your fingernails to handle your lenses.
- If you’re working near a sink, close the drain.
- Get in the habit of always working with the same (right or left) lens first to avoid mix-ups.
- Either remove the lens from the storage case with your fingertip or pour the lens and storage fluid from the case into your palm.
- Inspect the lens for particles, deposits or tears.
- Place the lens, cup side up, on your dry forefinger. Determine if the lens is right side out. If it is right side out, the lens’ edge will appear almost straight up. If inside out, the edges will flare out slightly. Another test to determine if the lens is right side out is to place the lens on a crease in the palm of your hand and then cup the hand slightly. This will flex the lens. If the edge of the lens curls inwards, it is the correct way out; if the edge curls outwards and wraps onto the palm of the hand, it is inside out. If it is inside out, reverse it.
- Pull the bottom eyelid down using the middle finger of the hand that is holding the contact lens.
- Hold the upper lid and lashes with the other hand to prevent blinking.
- Look up so the white part of your eye shows.
- Place the lens onto the exposed white part of your eye.
- Or, instead of looking up, look straight ahead into the mirror and gently place the lens on to the cornea.
- Move your finger away and slowly let go of your eyelids, bottom lid first, and then top.
- Look downward to help position the lens properly then slowly close your eyes momentarily.
- Follow the same steps to insert the other lens.
- You can apply one or two drops of prescribed lens lubricant (eye drops) to your eyes on occasion if your lenses feel dry or if blurry vision occurs during wear. If you feel that this is required more than once during each wearing period, consult your doctor of optometry.
How to remove your soft contact lenses
- Wash your hands with a mild cream-free soap, rinse completely and dry with a lint-free towel. Then close any nearby drains.
- With your head straight, look upwards as far as you can.
- Place your middle finger on the lower eyelid of your eye and pull the eyelid down, then touch the lower edge of the lens with the tip of your index finger.
- You may want to hold the upper lid and lashes with the other hand to prevent blinking.
- While still looking up, slide the lens down to the white part of the eye with your index finger.
- Still looking up and holding the lens with the index finger, move your thumb so that you can compress the lens lightly between the thumb and the index finger. Then gently remove the “folded up” lens from the eye.
- You will not feel the lens between your thumb and finger, but you will feel it come off your eye.
- Remove the other lens following the same procedure.