You’ll be surprised how easy it is to make contact lenses part of your daily routine. Below you’ll find some useful information and step-by-step support to help make a success of your new lenses.

Putting on and taking off contact lenses can take a little practice.
Try allowing yourself more time to get ready in the morning until you’ve mastered the technique.

IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER

Wash your hands - Ensure your hands are washed (preferably with liquid anti-bacterial soap), clean and dry to avoid irritation. Never touch your contact lenses with wet hands as water can increase the chance of infection. Dry your hands with a lint free towel to prevent cloth fibres contacting your eye and causing irritation.

Avoid tap water - You should avoid showering while wearing your contact lenses. Water may contain a number of nasty microbes including acanthamoeba, which can cause a very painful infection and permanently damage your eyesight. Swimming in your contact lenses is also not recommended.

Wearing makeup - Put your lenses in before you apply your make up and remove your lenses before you take your make up off. This will help to avoid getting makeup behind your contact lenses. Use water soluble, rather than waterproof, eye makeup as this will dissolve if it gets into your eyes. If you wear eyeliner, apply it along the outer edge of your eyelid, not along the wet part that touches your eye

Have your spectacles handy - It is important to have back-up glasses – in case you have a problem with your contact lenses or to give your eyes a rest.

Some more things to be aware of -

Don't

• Sleep in your lenses, unless specifically advised to by your practitioner
• Use your lenses for swimming, hot tubs or water sports, unless wearing goggles
• Share contact lenses or wear any lenses not specified by your practitioner
• Wet your lenses with saliva
• Put a lens on the eye if it falls on the floor or other surface, without cleaning and storing again
• Re-use or top up solution – always discard and replace with fresh solution each time lenses are stored
• Decant solution into smaller containers
• Wear lenses left in the case for more than seven days without cleaning and storing them in fresh solution
• Wear any lens overnight if you are unwell
• Wear your lenses when showering, unless you keep your eyes firmly closed
• Switch the solution you use, except on the advice of your practitioner
• Use any eye drops without advice from your contact lens practitioner
• Apply a lens if it is dirty, dusty or damaged
• Continue to wear your lenses if your eyes don’t feel good, look good, or see well

Adapted from BCLA literature

If you have a problem please give us a call

Call