The Student Room Group

Best way to put contacts on?

I tried it on today, for the 2nd time. It took be around 30 mins. I lost two contacts. I had a yellow towel on the table, which was proberly not a good colour when I dropped my contacts.

I took them off within a few minutes, but putting them on is a struggle. When I do put them on, my eyes sting a little, and it gets wet in my eye, also my eyes goes a bit red. After a few minutes, my eyes are fine. Is this normal?

I did take them out, put them on and took them out in Specsavers, and it did take a long time.

I am not sure what is the best technique, if having your face look up to the ceiling or looking at the mirror.

Any replies would be great.

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Hi, i started with contacts last July....and yes it took like up to an hour to get the buggers in when i first started! I have a particularly strong blink reflex, so it was a nightmare! BUT perseverence is the key. You've basically gotta get used to the idea of putting your finger on your eye...it takes time and practice, but you'll get there and putting lenses in will take like 10 seconds tops.

The way I do it (usually bleary-eyed in the morning!) is to get the lens on the palm of your hand to get off the excess fluid, then place it on the very tip of your index finger (for me it's RH for right eye, and LH for left eye). Then i hold my top lid open with the middle finger of the hand NOT holding the lens (the free hand), and the bottom lid i hold with the middle finger of the hand holding the lens. Then, when you've got a really good firm grip of your lash, you hold your eye open and I just stare straight at the lens as it comes towards my eye (just feels better that i can see it coming). Oh and once it's on your eyeball, don't blink too hard too quickly, or it'll just pop straight out - you've gotta be slow n careful.

Hope that helps, and best of luck! :smile:
And yes, it is totally normal for your eye to sting a little bit and maybe go a bit red - it depends how many attempts you've had really! I found after a while of trying to get it in, my eye would be so sore and red, i had to wait for a bit...
Reply 3
The OK Kid Computer Theif
Hi, i started with contacts last July....and yes it took like up to an hour to get the buggers in when i first started! I have a particularly strong blink reflex, so it was a nightmare! BUT perseverence is the key. You've basically gotta get used to the idea of putting your finger on your eye...it takes time and practice, but you'll get there and putting lenses in will take like 10 seconds tops.

The way I do it (usually bleary-eyed in the morning!) is to get the lens on the palm of your hand to get off the excess fluid, then place it on the very tip of your index finger (for me it's RH for right eye, and LH for left eye). Then i hold my top lid open with the middle finger of the hand NOT holding the lens (the free hand), and the bottom lid i hold with the middle finger of the hand holding the lens. Then, when you've got a really good firm grip of your lash, you hold your eye open and I just stare straight at the lens as it comes towards my eye (just feels better that i can see it coming). Oh and once it's on your eyeball, don't blink too hard too quickly, or it'll just pop straight out - you've gotta be slow n careful.

Hope that helps, and best of luck! :smile:


Seconded.
Reply 4
I take them out of the pot (I soak them in 'Multi' which is dilute hydrochloric acid- SO NOT GET THIS IS YOUR EYE if you use it!!) I rinse them in the palm of my hand with saline until the water drains away (not tap, saline). Sometimes I do this twice- I do this in my left palm- pick up the lens with my right hand and place it on the tip of my left hand index finger. I then transfer the lens to the index finger of my right hand- with my left hand I hold my upper eyelid out of the way and with the middle finger of my right hand (index finger has the lens) I hold down my lower lid and put the lens in- I too look at it whislt doing it. Sometimes it will sting a lot and you'l need to take it out, rinse and start again (I should add mine are monthly) don't rub your eyes too much when they're in as sometimes the lens can get 'lost' in your actual eyelid i.e. it disappears up- if this happens don't panic- hold your lid away from your eye and it will slowly descend- this it not comfortable but it doesn't hurt. The best way to 'rub' your eye is to put your finger in the outer corner of your eye and wiggle up and down- or use a towel for a softer 'proper' rub.

Good luck and hope this helps :smile:
wags85
My eyes are watering reading your post and I wear contacts myself!

Trust me, it'll get easier! Basically, I third everything the OK Computer Kid Thief said.

As for your eyes stinging and going red - are you sure you're not allergic to the cleaning fluid? I found after a few very painful days of trying to wear my contacts at first that I was allergic to the Bouche & Lombe (sp?!) cleaning fluid. Hence why I now wear daily disposables - no cleaning at all- woohoo :smile:


I would have to ask at the optician on thursday, to find out if I am allergic to it. I am wearing daily disposables too, theres a liquid I need to put the contacts in before i put them on. I was mearnt to shake them before using it, but I didn't, maybe thats why my eyes are hurting. It only hurts for a little while, then it fines.
wags85
If you're wearing daily disposables - make sure you're not scratching the lense with either the foil or your nails when you're taking it out the packet. That could cause it to irritate your eye a little. Also, sounds silly - but make sure your hands are clean with soap and water before you try putting them in, and you don't have any eyelashes or bits of towel or anything on your fingers.

Why do you have to put a solution into the lense before you put it in your eye? they're stored in solution anyway... shouldn't they be enough? or do you have really dry eyes? perhaps you're allergic to that then?


Yeah, they are stored in solution, I just use the stored solution.
Reply 7
The OK Kid Computer Theif
Hi, i started with contacts last July....and yes it took like up to an hour to get the buggers in when i first started! I have a particularly strong blink reflex, so it was a nightmare! BUT perseverence is the key. You've basically gotta get used to the idea of putting your finger on your eye...it takes time and practice, but you'll get there and putting lenses in will take like 10 seconds tops.

The way I do it (usually bleary-eyed in the morning!) is to get the lens on the palm of your hand to get off the excess fluid, then place it on the very tip of your index finger (for me it's RH for right eye, and LH for left eye). Then i hold my top lid open with the middle finger of the hand NOT holding the lens (the free hand), and the bottom lid i hold with the middle finger of the hand holding the lens. Then, when you've got a really good firm grip of your lash, you hold your eye open and I just stare straight at the lens as it comes towards my eye (just feels better that i can see it coming). Oh and once it's on your eyeball, don't blink too hard too quickly, or it'll just pop straight out - you've gotta be slow n careful.

Hope that helps, and best of luck! :smile:


:ditto: Also, I do it in front of a mirror rather than looking up to the ceiling. My eyes also sting and go quite red when I put them in but I think this is to do with the fact that I don't wear them very often, the more that I wear them the less they irritate my eyes. Good luck :cool:
I went to specsavers the other day to try them, it was hell. I managed to put one of them on 1 eye after about litrally 45 mins, at which point water was pourin out of my eyes and they were really bloodshotted, and then she told me to take them out because the shop was closing so i tried and i couldnt get them out and i got scared cos i thought i lost it in my eye or something lol and my eye go more and more red then finnaly i got it. The optisian said they wouldnt trust me with the contacts yet lol, so i have 2 go again to try to learn putting htem on. But when the one was on it was soo kl, i could see evrything so perfectly withough glasses when i closed the other eye!
It takes a while to get the hang of contacts.
When I first got them it would take about half an hour to put just one in, it was soooo difficult.
Now it takes about 5 seconds per eye - no mirror - one handed!
(well sometimes I use a mirror if there's one there, but I don't need to. I can manage perfectly well without one).

Right Eye:
-I put the lens on the end of my index finger of my right hand.
-With the middle finger of that same hand (the right hand), I pull down the skin under my right eye.
-I look up and pop the lens in.
-Then I gently close my eye - you can feel it sort of 'popping' in your eye as their air-bubbles get pushed out.
(I think GENTLY is the key here. If you do it too fast you end up folding the lens in your eye and then when you open it again it falls out. I've had this happen so many times.)
-I then open my eyes and I'm done.

Left Eye:
-exactly the same technique as the right eye, except I use my left hand.

If, once I've opened my eyes, I find that one of my lenses is uncomfortable, I just wiggle them around my eye.
For example - if it's my right lens that is hurting:

I'll slide my lens to the outer edge of my eye (the right edge) whilst simultaneously looking to the left (towards my nose). So basically I'm sliding it off my iris and onto the white part. Just for a second.
And then I'll slide it back in place again.
That usually does the trick.

If it's still uncomfortable after I've done that a couple of times, then I pop it back out again and have a look at it. It might be that I've put it in inside out by mistake.

Removing Lenses:
When I first started using lenses I found removing them quite easy - MUCH easier than putting them in.

So, same principal as putting them in - I use my right hand for my right eye, and my left hand for my left eye.

-pull down the skin under the eye with middle finger.
-using index finger and thumb, pinch the contact lens and remove from eye.

A lot of people are saying they use both hands for each eye - I admit I used to do that aswell at first, but I found it's just as easy to use one hand. I don't need to pull up the top lid - somehow, just pulling down the bottom one works gives me enough of a gap to put the lens in.
Reply 10
wesetters
2nd time you've put them in ?



yeah, 1st time in specsavers and 2nd time yesterday
I have contacts (only had them a week) I was told that my vision with the contacts will not be as good as my vision with my glasses? does anyone know why this is? I mean, I can see fine with my glasses and contacts so I don't really see a problem. Although, I can see a little bit clearer with my glasses on, but it's not really a deal enough problem to notice! odd....
Reply 12
Hayley_2k4
I have contacts (only had them a week) I was told that my vision with the contacts will not be as good as my vision with my glasses? does anyone know why this is? I mean, I can see fine with my glasses and contacts so I don't really see a problem. Although, I can see a little bit clearer with my glasses on, but it's not really a deal enough problem to notice! odd....

I think it's because contacts aren't tailored to your exact prescription like glasses, maybe.

My contacts are -6.00 but my eyes are -7.25 and -8. :s-smilie: So I totally can't see properly with contacts. The price of vanity...
the_elusive_musician
I think it's because contacts aren't tailored to your exact prescription like glasses, maybe.

My contacts are -6.00 but my eyes are -7.25 and -8. :s-smilie: So I totally can't see properly with contacts. The price of vanity...


These new contacts I had today are the same prescription as my glasses (-3.00 in one eye and -3.25 in another, they were -2.00 in both eyes I went two years ago, so they've gone really downhill :frown: ) but they still said I wouldn't be able to see as cleary with my new contacts for some reason.
Reply 14
it makes me feel so much better to know that everyone else took ages to put their contacts in when they first got them... I felt like a right idiot at specsavers when I had to try my contacts for the first time and took absolutely ages to do it - I really felt like I was annoying the guy who had to teach me to put them in, even though he was really nice and polite with me

I always use my right hand for putting my contacts in. probably would be easier to use the LH for the LE, but it's easy enough with my right. I place the lens on the tip of my finger, hold my eye open with my left hand and then put the lens in so that it sticks to my eyeball. and then to get rid of air bubbles and to get the lens in place, I just gently tease it towards my pupil with my lower eyelid. then I blink and voila!
Reply 15
Eevuul

I always use my right hand for putting my contacts in. probably would be easier to use the LH for the LE, but it's easy enough with my right. I place the lens on the tip of my finger, hold my eye open with my left hand and then put the lens in so that it sticks to my eyeball. and then to get rid of air bubbles and to get the lens in place, I just gently tease it towards my pupil with my lower eyelid. then I blink and voila!

:ditto: I use my right hand for both too, except my nose kind of gets in the way when I'm doing the left. :p:
Reply 16
Cudn't b assed to read the details of all the replies so I'll just add me 2 cents and apologies if I'm repeating anything. Basically, I wear disposables, and am also left-handed, so what I do is this: open sachet, put middle finger in to pick up the lens on the tip, then take it into the thumb and forefinger of the other hand by the edges. Squeeze it in a little to allow excess saline to run off onto a tissue, then position on my left finger tip. Then, just as others said, hold eyelids with middle fingers. Remember you need to hold em wide. The most important thing is to RELAX. Look straight ahead. As soon as it's in look up, down and then side to side, then SLOWLY blink and close your eye. If there is an airbubble then it will fall out, but this can be prevented by checking beofre you close your eye andf giving it a lil prod around. Personally I use the same hand to do both eyes, but that's cos I'm rubbish with me right hand.

If you drop em don't worry too much, find them and rinse them. I've been known to chase mine halfway across my bedroom carpet beofre htey actually get in my eyes. Wait 5 mins or so after you get em in, if this is the 2nd time your wearing them then obs u need to get used to em. I was with specsavers and they suggested I build up an hour a day gradually as theyre alot to get used to. When I first went to try them in the shop it took about an hour, I had tears and snot streaming down my face and the lady was getting so impatient, I felt such a fool. But the more you wear them the more practice you get and the quicker you get- you work out what technique works best for you. To this day I dont wear lenses often and still allow half and hour to get them in just incase I have a difficult day. Usually it only takes 5 mins tho. You mustn't be scared to touch your eyes though, and if it feels too scratchy then it could be on inside out so don't be afraid to take it out and flip it to see if it feels better (disposables I'm talking bout- dunno if you have that prob with permanents).
Is it normal to feel sick, the first time you wear contacts?
errr...not really! you may get a headache from touching your eye-ball, or from your eye's getting used to them....but feeling sick? I can't see the two being related tbh.
it still takes me ages to put my contacts in and ive had them ages, although dont wear them that often. My eyesight also isnt as good with contacts but thats because I have astigmatism in both eyes (rugby ball shaped instead of football) and have got basic lenses, so could get ones that would help correct it but dont wear them enough to justify the extra cost. I find i cant look directly at the contact lense approaching my eye! but it gets in eventually. i find holding the lense on my eye for a bit, then looking all around before taking my finger off and closing my eye.