Contact Lens Rules and Video
New to Contact Lenses?
General Rules for all Contact Lenses (CLs)
The Golden Rule
ALWAYS WASH AND DRY HANDS THOROUGHLY BEFORE HANDLING CLs! Use low fiber towels or hand towels. Avoid wiping your hands on your clothes, which may have loose fibers/particles that may transfer to the CLs. And avoid soap with moisturizer in it. Soapy oils can transfer to the CLs causing discomfort and blurry vision.
Do Not Sleep in your Contact Lenses
DO NOT SLEEP IN YOUR CLs and REPLACE CLs AS INSTRUCTED! Though some lenses are FDA-approved for ‘extended’ wear, we strongly advise against it. And extending lenses past the recommended wearing time (eg. wearing daily lenses for a week) will significantly increase risk of infections and/or ulcers, both of which can be very painful, and potentially vision-threatening.
Pain/Redness
Insertion/Removal
Most patients should insert and remove the right CL first, then the left. This is especially important if the powers are different for each eye. The only time this rule would not apply is for monovision and multifocal patients, who should insert their better reading CL first, then remove the same lens last.
The First Week
For the first week, start with 4 hours wearing time the first day, and add 2 hours each day, working up to a maximum of 12 hours/day until the follow-up exam. Then we’ll adjust wearing time according to your specific needs.
Contact Lens FACTS
People who wear contacts have higher self-confidence than those who wear glasses for vision correction, especially among teenagers.
Rules For Bi-weekly Or Monthly (Reusable/Continuous Wear) Contact Lenses
Avoid Water
Drying Out
When CLs are not in the eyes, they must always be immersed in the proper CL solution (sol’n). Otherwise, they will dry out within minutes. If, while attempting to insert a CL, it starts to become dry or tacky, soak it in CL sol’n for at least 15 seconds to rehydrate it.
Never Reuse
Always use FRESH CL sol’n every night. Never reuse or ‘top off’ sol’n.
Rinse the Case
Keep Them Clean
Even if you don’t wear your reusable CLs every day, you must clean and rinse them with fresh CL sol’n daily to make sure they’re always as clean as possible.
Daily Cleaning
Wash hands and dry; place CL in the palm of your hand; pour 4-5 drops of CL all-purpose sol’n on the lens; place the tip of your middle finger on the CL and gently, but firmly, rub the CL in small circles for 15 seconds; flip the CL inside out and repeat; flip it back to right side up; rinse it well with fresh sol’n then put it in the case with enough fresh sol’n to submerge the lens (about ¾ full).
