Contact lenses - arg!!! so difficult to put them in!

[raildogg]

I got my contact lenses on thursday and I put them in like 25 minutes yesterday but I've been trying for the past half hour and still no luck. When I stick my finger with the contacts in my eye, the contacts remain stuck to my finger - it just doesn't go in. Are the contacts too lubricated or am I doing something wrong?

The eye doctor said I have bigger eyelashes so it maybe a bit more difficult for me but this is just too much.

 

[Aimster]

lmk cause I cannot afford lasik and I am going to have to do contacts soon



the whole touching ur eye thing.. and getting them out. I dont know if I can do it

 

[waggy]

hahah yeah. it takes me on avarage 15 minutes per eye.

I have the same problem it stays stuck to my finger. then once i get it in it burns.


so i don't wear them unless i am going to go for a motorcycle ride.

 

[hans030390]

This is how I do it:

1. Wash out eyes (eye cup)
2. Wash hands
3. put contact in palm (not like a dome shape) and squirt it with saline solution
4. Stick on tip of pointer finger (my right hand)
5. Look straight ahead in mirror, open eyes wide
6. Place contact directly on eye (like it should be) (sometimes you need to "push" kinda "hard")

It takes a while to figure out how to put them in...and it's different for everyone (whether they easily can or can't, and how they do it)

 

[Ophir]

Originally posted by: waggy
hahah yeah. it takes me on avarage 15 minutes per eye.

I have the same problem it stays stuck to my finger. then once i get it in it burns.


so i don't wear them unless i am going to go for a motorcycle ride.

Are you serious? It takes me like 30s per eye, including the saline rinse.

It goes really fast once you stop relying on the mirror and get over the fear of touching your eye with your finger.

 

[NanoStuff]

how do you do it?

I don't. I'm holding out for bionic eyes with 20/2 vision and infrared. Already started saving up.

 

[Fritzo]

You get used to touching your eye. That's the key. It takes time.

 

[SonnyDaze]

Originally posted by: raildogg
I got my contact lenses on thursday and I put them in like 25 minutes yesterday but I've been trying for the past half hour and still no luck. When I stick my finger with the contacts in my eye, the contacts remain stuck to my finger - it just doesn't go in. Are the contacts too lubricated or am I doing something wrong?

The eye doctor said I have bigger eyelashes so it maybe a bit more difficult for me but this is just too much.

It'll get easier with time. Make sure there is some solution on the contact when you put it in. Sounds like the contact might be dry and sticking to your finger. If you have big eyelashes you might have to use your other hand to pull your top eyelid up a little to give you a little more room to got the contact in. I had the same problem when I started.

 

[mwtgg]

Make sure your finger is dry, otherwise the contact will stick to your finger, not your eye.

 

[Q]

I've had them for about 6 years (since 7th grade), and back then it used to take me like 20 minutes to do it.

Here's what I do now.

1. Wash hands
2. Open case, pick a contact (this is assuming contacts have been 'soaking' overnight
3. Put contact on palm, flip over, and place on tip of index finger
4. If contact falls off when rasing to your eye, you need to wet the tip of your finger with solution, then try again
5. Put on finger again, make sure it's not 'folded' from being too wet, get your other hand and hold open top of eye lid
6. Put it in, but don't blink right away, since usually you can tell if it's on or not
7. Blink

Those were long instructions

 

[drinkmorejava]

With Night and Day contacts, keep them in for a whole month.

 

[archcommus]

There are two tricks: 1) getting used to touching your eye, and 2) learning to effectively and quickly get hairs and such off without it being an annoyance.

For the first, nothing to do but practice. In time you'll get used to it.
For the second, it is best to just place it on your fingertip and douse it with solution. Rub it a bit and then go for it.

For the record, it probably took me over a month to be able to do it in less than 10 minutes, and maybe a year before I could start doing it on the first try every time, so don't feel bad if it's taking you awhile.

 

[Brainonska511]

Takes me about 30 seconds tops.

My method (I clean my lenses the night before):
For right eye - Take it out and place it on tip of index finger; only the center of the lens should touch the finger
-Hold up eyelid with the left hand, hold down the lower lid with the right middle finger, place contact in eye.

Repeat for left eye using the opposite hand for each step.

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: drinkmorejava
With Night and Day contacts, keep them in for a whole month.

Any doctor will tell you that's a bad idea whether the lenses are approved for that or not.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Are these soft lenses?

I have hard lenses so I just throw them into my eye. It helps if they are moist and your eyes are moist. They stick on just because of the polarity of water.... If they're not sticking its because my eyes are dry or the lenses are dried out. Sometimes it helps to put a drop of rewetting drops in the contact but that means it has to hold a drop of liquid and it makes the lens to heavy sometimes that it doesnt balance on my finger when Im about to stick thel ense into my eye.

Don't worry. It took me 30 minutes before. The first week or so I struggled. I used to still use a special zoom mirror to put my lenses in until a month later. I got lazier and lazier. My mom made sure our new bathroom had a mirror against the wall not just in front of the sink so I could get closer. Im lazy as hell. I put my lenses in from like 3 ft away from the mirror in front of my sink now... I even leave the drain unplugged.... (BAD DONT DO THAT)

 

[KK]

I had contact for over ten years before getting lasik. I always had trouble getting one contact in one of my eyes. My eyelid on one side would not open up very wide very easily thus making it tough to get it. as far as getting it to stick to your eye, pour a drop or two of saline solution in the contact. this will help it suck to the eye, kinda like a suction cup.

 

[LordUnum]

I had similar problems putting mine in the first couple of weeks I had them. I'd become so frustrated that my lenses would invert themselves upon touching my eyeball or an eyelash. Had no problems in the years since really except for the rare stinging red eyeball thanks to having leftover chile residue on my fingers (I've found a couple of alternating vigorous handwashings/alcohol baths leaves my hands contact-friendly in that case.) I also think the thicker toric lenses I've been wearing cut down on that annoying 'flipping.'

FWIW, my technique for putting them in is to hold the upper eyelid up with the index/middle finger of the opposite hand (left hand to right eye, right hand to left eye), then pull the lower eyelid down with the middle finger of the other hand. Raise the index finger of that hand with contact strategically placed on tip to eye level until the contact is parallel with eyeball surface. With enough clearance between eyelids, it's just a matter of controlling your blinking reflex somewhat (no caffeine!) as you move your finger slowly towards your eye.

EDIT: Yeah, as Brainonska511 said.

 

[farscapesg1]

I gave up. I started wearing contacts back in high school, then developed a nasty eye infection from them (extended wear) one Valentines holiday and couldn't even open my eye if the lights were on. The doctor said I had a really bad infection and if I had waited another day to come in I could have had permanent scarring on my retina :Q Never really had a problem putting them in or taking them out.

So, I laid off contacts for about a year and then tried again, this time using daily wear contacts. I tried and tried but could never get used to them. Putting them in always burned and took 10-15 minutes to get them both in. Taking them out was even harder. I just couldn't seem to grab hold of them and get them out.

Eventually I gave up and just wear glasses. It's a lot quicker to wake up, stick my glasses on my face, and go.

 

[Indolent]

Originally posted by: Ophir

Originally posted by: waggy
hahah yeah. it takes me on avarage 15 minutes per eye.

I have the same problem it stays stuck to my finger. then once i get it in it burns.


so i don't wear them unless i am going to go for a motorcycle ride.

Are you serious? It takes me like 30s per eye, including the saline rinse.

It goes really fast once you stop relying on the mirror and get over the fear of touching your eye with your finger.

It always takes me forever to do it without a mirror. (by forever, I mean at least 3 to 5 minutes). With a mirror it goes quickly though.

 

[Juno]

least than 5 seconds to put contact on each eye.

contacts user since '01. it took me forever when you were introduced to contacts.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I usually try to balance the contact between my thumb and index finger so I don't have to worry about it "collapsing" on me. I use my other hand to pull my eyelids apart so I can insert the contact without any obstructions. After about 10 years of wearing contacts this is the method that works best for me, but YMMV.

 

[AFB]

Originally posted by: mwtgg
Make sure your finger is dry, otherwise the contact will stick to your finger, not your eye.

Indeed, this is your problem.

Simple check list really(in order):

(1) Wash hands
(2) Dry hands
(3) Lubricate contact in hand A (non dominate hand)
(4) Use hand b (dominate hand) to take contact on finger tip
(5) Using hand a to hold eye open, place contact in eye with finger of hand b

 

[skywhr]

with my finger?

 

[frostedflakes]

Yup, as others have mentioned your finger is too wet. The contact will stick to whatever is wettest, so make sure your finger is dry. Also make sure the contact is kind of wet before you put it in or else it will sting like a mother. So make sure as soon as you pull them out of the solution you put them in, or if they've been out for a bit squirt a drop or two of solution into the contact. Also you don't have to get it on your eye perfect, it's OK if it's on the white of your eye or something. As long as it's not folded over itself when you put it on moving your eye around will "set" it in to the right position over your cornea.

You'll get the hang of it, took me a while to get used to them. I spent like 15 minutes getting them in for the first time at the eye doctor. Was kind of embarrassing because the attractive nurse was sitting in there waiting for me, probably thinking I was retarded or something, lol. When they tell you how to put the contacts in they make it sound easier than it really is.

 

[SoLiDus88]

it really blows when you put them in the wrong way. hurts like a *****

but yea make sure ur fingers are dry. if ur fingers are wet it makes it a lot harder.