Choosing between eyeglasses and contact lenses for vision correction is largely a matter of personal preference. Lifestyle, convenience, budget and aesthetics should all play a role in your choice. Choosing contact lenses has its benefits like they don’t get in the way when playing sports and exercising and they won’t clash with what you’re wearing, but it also comes with several additional responsibilities, especially for first-timers.
It can be daunting to move to contact lenses, so these are some hacks to make your contact lens experience less stressful
Keep your hands clean
Wash your hands thoroughly before removing contact lenses. If you must hold your lenses with your bare hands in any situation, you should follow this rule, too.
To avoid contaminating your contact lenses, make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after handling them. Every day, you use your hands as tools and you would be surprised at how much dirt you collect.
You should also wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Use only alcohol-free hand sanitisers when handling your contact lenses. These products may have an adverse effect on your lenses.
Place the contact lens on the tip of your DRY finger
In order to put their contact lenses in their eyes, many people use the flat pads of their fingers to hold the lenses in place. When applied at the wrong angle or if it bumps into eyelashes, this method tends to flatten the lens on your finger.
Placing the lens on the tip of your finger, close to your fingernail, is preferable. Due to the reduced contact surface area of your finger, it is less likely to flatten and fold. Getting ready in the morning will be a lot less stressful and time-consuming with this method. To help with this, make sure your finger is dry, as putting on contact lenses with a wet finger may result in them clinging to your finger instead of your eyeballs.
Taco test
Your optometrist should have instructed you not to wear your contact lenses inside out. A faster and easier way to check if your contact lenses are the right way up is to use the taco test.
Hold the contact lens between the tips of your thumb and index finger. Pinch the contact lens to make it into a taco shape. If the edge of the contact lens looks like a hard-shell taco, then it’s facing the correct way. If the edge bends outwards and doesn’t resemble a taco, then it’s inside out.
Moisten your eyes with eye drops
Most of the time, having dry eyes can make it more difficult to take out or put on your contact lenses. That’s why it’s always a good idea to look at a mirror and check if your eyes are dry. You can easily moisten your eyes by applying some eye drops. Just make sure that you use a brand that’s safe for contact lenses.
If you’re travelling, whether it’s an overnight stay or a longer break, a spare pair of contacts and travel-sized eye drops are invaluable. If you’re worried that a spare pack of contacts is going to break the bank, check out Contact Lenses UK. They have a wide range of contacts that will not break the bank. If you get caught short travelling in the UK you can always order eye solutions from online stores such as Amazon which can deliver the next day.
Tiktok removal hack
Tiktok has created so many wonderful life hacks, advice in all sorts of areas and general entertainment. There is even a hack for contact lens removal that has shocked people who have used contact lenses for years. In a video she released on TikTok, Lala (@lalaleluu) demonstrates how the process works.
“You’re not supposed to move your eyes back, but to the side – if that makes sense? You pull up and down and then you look to the side, and then you blink. And that should get it out.”
If you do try the hack, please remember the importance of washing your hands before touching your lenses, and not wearing contact lenses for longer than advised.
There you have it, 5 tips that we think all beginner contact lens wearers should know. What made you pick contact lenses over glasses? Do you have any more hacks that you wish you knew when you started out? Let us know below, or message us with your tips.