We'll help you with the basics of contact lens wear and care to help keep your eyes safe and comfortable. Inserting and removing contact lenses, caring for lenses, and the importance of following a replacement schedule are discussed below.
How to Care for Your Contact Lenses
Daily disposable contact lenses are designed to be worn once and then thrown away, you don’t have to worry about the hassle of cleaning or storing the lenses.
It is also easy to care for lenses that you use for more than a day. Just be sure to follow the routine your eye care professional recommends.
Rinsing:
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Rinse each side of your lens for five seconds with Biotrue multi-purpose solution.
Based upon your individual tear chemistry and lens-wearing schedule, your eye care professional may recommend additional care for your lenses such as placing 3 drops of this solution on each lens surface and rubbing for 20 seconds before rinsing. This ensures that your lenses are free of debris and deposits. Make sure to follow the routine your eye care professional recommends.
Disinfect:
Now your lenses are ready for the next time you need them.
Store:
Your Replacement Schedule
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Figure 19 - calendar.ashx
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Lenses are designed for specific wearing times. Depending on what’s best for your eyes, your eye care professional may recommend a lens designed for daily replacement, a lens designed for two weeks of daily wear, or a lens designed for one month of daily wear.
Regardless, it’s really important to follow the replacement schedule your eye doctor gave you – it tells you when you need new lenses. Following it will keep your eyes safe and comfortable – so make sure you stick to it.
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FAQs
It can take anywhere from one day to a couple of weeks, depending on the person.
Make sure you put your lenses in after you use your hairspray. Aerosols and pump sprays are sticky and can really mess up your lenses.
Yes you can, but to minimise discomfort or your make up being ruined we recommend that you follow these simple guidelines:
- put your lenses on before you put your make-up on, and if you can, use oil-free and fragrance free make-up
- replace your make up frequently, we recommend mascara every 3 months, eyeliner every three months and eye shadows every six months
- Use water-resistant mascara and eyeliner to prevent flaking and smudging. And avoid lash-building fibres as they can cause irritation if they get underneath your lenses.
Lotions, powders and gels with bits of glitter look fabulous when you put them on—but the tiny, shiny specks can get into your eyes and cause irritation and problems with your contact lenses. When you’ve applied your glittery gel, be careful not to touch your eyes—and wash the glitter off your hands right away.
You should take out your contact lenses whenever you swim or shower. If you don’t, you could get an eye infection. A swimming pool environment and the sea are loaded with bacteria and micro-organisms which is why the straight answer is no. Swimming in contact lenses puts your eyes at more risk of infection than not swimming in contact lenses. Always use appropriate swimming goggles if contact lenses are worn while swimming. Swimming goggles not only protect against lens loss from swimming under water, but they may also offer some protection from the environment.
Your eye care practitioner will recommend the length of time each day that your lenses can be worn.
There isn't a simple answer. With contact lenses it isn't a 'one size fits all' approach. Your eye care practitioner will make a judgment based on your lifestyle and will discuss your wearing schedule with you. If you think you might be wearing your lenses longer than you should, or would like to wear them longer then talk it through with your eye care practitioner.
Never use anything other than contact lens solution to clean your lenses.
Contact lenses should never be stored in tap water, nor should they be rinsed with tap water. Tap water contains micro-organisms that can latch onto the lenses, encouraging eye infections - which if left untreated can lead to permanent vision loss. Make sure you always use a lens solution. Check how to look after your lenses here. Tap water should also never come into contact with your lens case for the same reasons and you should always use a contact lens solution to clean your lens case.
You should never re-use your contact lens solution. You should throw it out, rinse out your case with fresh solution, and let it air dry.
If you are looking for tinted lenses to enhance or change your eye colour, you will need to be fitted for coloured contact lenses by your eye care practitioner just like any other contact lens.