Inserting & Removing Contact Lenses

Guidelines for Use


Hands must be washed thoroughly before a lens is handled.  Ensure to clean in-between fingers and avoid scented soaps or hand washes and also oil and moisturisers.  If there is a sink bowl in front of you, ensure to cover the plug so that you do not loose your lens.

Placing Contact Lenses

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It can be quite difficult at first, to realise which way around a contact lens should be placed in the eye.  It should look like the half of a round ball and should not have a rim.  If it looks like a soup bowl, it may be inverted.  By carefully placing the lens on a clean finger, examine the correct position by looking at it at eye level.  If a lens is placed in the eye, inverted, it wont cause any damage but you will realise that it is the wrong way around, as it will feel uncomfortable.

  • Shake the lens case gently, so that it loosens from the edge of the box where it may be stuck.
  • Slide the lens out of the box and into the palm of your hand.
  • Rinse the lens with a solution if required.
  • Place the lens on the tip of your dry index or middle finger.
  • Use your fingers and thumb to open your eye by pulling your upper eyelid up and lower eyelid further down.
  • The lens should be placed on the white of the eye closest to your ear whilst looking upward or forward. 
  • Finally, roll your eyes around and blink to help the lens settle.

Removing Soft Contact Lenses

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Remove a soft lens by looking upward or sideways and simultaneously pulling down on the lower eyelid whilst moving the lens onto the white of your eye and then pinch the lens together with your index finger and thumb and remove it from the eye. 

Removing RGP Contact Lenses

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Bend forwards and hold out your hand.  Then open one eye wide and use a finger in the other hand to pull on the skin of your eyes outside corner, out toward your ear and blink.  The lens should drop into your hand. 

Take care not to scratch the lens with your nails.

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