Making the transition from glasses to contacts may take some practice as you learn to properly care for your new lenses. With help from your optometrist, you can learn more about the care needs for the specific type of lenses that you use. Most contact lenses must be removed nightly and set in saline solution so they stay hydrated and clean. Leaving your contacts in overnight when they aren't meant for overnight use could lead to dryness, redness and irritation in the morning.
Step 1
Fill your contacts case with fresh saline solution. Wash your hands with antibacterial soap that is free of perfumes and dyes, suggests contact manufacturer Acuvue. Ensure that your hands are perfectly dry before you attempt to remove your contacts.
Step 2
Look up, and use the middle finger of your dominant hand to gently pull on the lower eyelid. Don't tug too hard, just enough to expose the white of your eye.
Step 3
Place your index finger on the contact lens and gently slide the lens down to the white of the eye. It will be about 70 percent still on the pupil, with 30 percent of the surface resting on the white of the eye.
Step 4
Pinch the lens between your index finger and thumb and pull it away from your eye, says Bausch and Lomb.
Step 5
Transfer the contact lens to your palm, and add a few drops of saline solution. Gently rub the contact lens through the saline solution to clean the lens of surface bacteria, says the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Deposit the lens into the corresponding side of the contact case.
Step 6
Repeat for the other eye. Screw the tops onto the contact case and store upright in a safe location.
Things You'll Need
- Contact lens case
- Saline solution
- Eye drops
