How To Care For Your Contact Lenses
Caring for your contact lenses is very important because not doing so can lead to a variety of eye infections, including some that cause blindness. It is highly recommended that you visit an eye care professional or doctor before you purchase your first pair of colored contacts to be instructed on how to put them in and take care of them properly. Below are the basics that you need to follow:
Clean, Rinse and Disinfect
- Wash your hands thoroughly every time you handle your colored contact lenses to prevent the transfer of dirt and germs to your eyes. Avoid using moisturizing soaps, as they are not suitable for contact lenses, and always dry your hands with a lint-free towel.
- Remove one lens at a time and clean it with a multi-purpose lens solution. This cleaning process eliminates eye-produced buildup, cosmetics, and other debris that can compromise lens comfort. Rub the lens very gently in the palm of your hand with a few drops of solution and be sure to avoid touching the lens's surface with your nails.
- Rinse the lens again to remove the loosened debris.
- Place the lens in your clean lens case or lens holder and fill with fresh solution; never top off your old solution. Disinfecting kills microorganisms on the lens.
- Repeat steps two through four for your other lens.
Always Remember...
- Always soak your new lenses in fresh solution for at least 6-8 hours before the very first use
- Never touch solution bottle tips to any surface, including your body as this can cause contamination of the solution.
- Avoid getting tap water on your contact lenses and accessories, as it can carry a microorganism called Acanthamoeba that causes serious eye infections.
- Remember to clean your contact lens accessories as directed.
- Lens cases should be rinsed with hot tap water and dried when not in use. (Because Acanthamoeba cysts may be present in tap water and can survive for years after drying, some eye doctors recommend using only contact lens disinfecting or multipurpose solution for this step.)
- Recent studies suggest that wiping your case with a clean tissue and/or placing it upside-down on another clean tissue may be additional good steps in keeping bacteria biofilms off the case. Ask your eye doctor what he or she recommends if unsure.
- Throw out your contact lens case once a month to reduce your risk of infection.
- Clean and disinfect your contact lenses once a day.
How To Insert Lenses
- Place the clean lens on the tip of the index or middle finger of your hand and pull down the lower lid with the middle or ring finger of the same hand. Use your other hand to hold the upper lid firmly open.
- Look directly at the lens or directly into the mirror in front of you and place the lens directly on your cornea which is the large colored circle in the centre of your eye.
- Slowly release your hold on the lid. If there are any air bubble beneath the lens, close your eye, and with the eye closed, roll the eye gently. Another way of gettin rid of air bubbles is to massage the lids very lightly. Under no condition, however, should you rub your eyes.
How To Remove Lenses
- Look up
- With your middle finger, hold down your lower lid.
- Use forefinger to slide the lens to the lower part of your eye.
- Pinch the lens with the thumb and forefinger and remove gently without excessively folding the lens.
* Please note that Luxe Lenses is not liable for breakage or malfunction of your contact lenses.