Precautions for Wearing Coloured Contact Lenses

Before delving into the specific steps of wearing contact lenses, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with some essential precautions to ensure eye health and safety. These precautions include:

• Clean Hands: Always begin by washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water, then dry them with a lint-free towel.  This step is essential to prevent dirt, oils, or bacteria from transferring to your contact lenses, which could lead to eye infections or discomfort.
• Follow a Proper Hygiene Routine: Cleanliness is paramount when it comes to handling contact lenses.  Ensure you adhere to a proper hygiene routine by using recommended contact lens solutions for cleaning, disinfecting, and storing your lenses.  Avoid using tap water or saliva, as they may contain microorganisms that can harm your eyes.
• Insert Lenses Before Applying Makeup: If you wear makeup, it’s important to insert your contact lenses before applying any products.  This order prevents makeup residue, powders, or liquids from contaminating the lenses, ensuring clearer vision and avoiding potential eye irritations. Be cautious not to touch the lenses with your makeup-covered fingers.
• Avoid Contact with Irritants: While wearing contact lenses, it’s advisable to avoid contact with substances that can irritate your eyes, such as harmful gases, smoke, or strong chemicals.  Additionally, refrain from using eye drops or ointments without consulting your eye care professional, as certain medications may interact with the lenses or cause discomfort.
• Seek Professional Guidance: If you experience persistent discomfort, redness, or any unusual symptoms while wearing contact lenses, promptly remove them and consult an optometrist or ophthalmologist.  Professional guidance ensures the proper care and well-being of your eyes. 

Basic steps for wearing beauty lenses

After understanding the basic knowledge, let’s learn how to wear beauty lenses. The specific steps are as follows:

• Step 1: Relax. Many beginners tend to blink or close their eyes tightly when inserting the lenses, making it difficult to wear them, which is a normal reflex. Do not be nervous. It is a common issue for beginners. Just relax. Avoid blinking and gently look downward. This will make it easier to wear the lenses. With a little practice, you will become proficient in wearing them.
• Step 2: Check lens condition. Before wearing the lenses, check if they are wet and soft and ensure there is no damage. If the beauty lenses are dry, soak them in the lens solution.
• Step 3: Develop a habit of wearing lenses from right to left to avoid confusion in prescription. Place the colored contact lens on the inserter, ensuring that the contact area between the lens and inserter is not too large, as the lens may stick to it and make wearing difficult.

• Step 4: Look straight ahead and use the middle finger of the hand holding the inserter to gently pull down the edge of the lower eyelid. With the middle finger of the other hand, gently lift the edge of the upper eyelid (making sure not to obstruct the view of the other eye). The iris should be fully exposed at this point. Use the index finger of one hand to lift the upper eyelid along the eye line, ensuring that the eyelashes are also lifted to prevent obstruction. Then use the thumb to lift the lower eyelid, which will prevent blinking.

 

• Step 5: With the other hand holding the inserter, gently bring the lens close to the eye. Once the lens adheres to the eye, it is in place. If the lens does not adhere to the eye, it may be due to insufficient moisture. In such cases, simply soak the lens in the solution and try again. If the eye is too small for the lens, it may be due to either selecting an incorrect diameter or not using the correct method. For small eyes, choose the smallest diameter  colored contact lenses available. Do not select a lens with a diameter too large just to enlarge the eyes, as it will be difficult to wear. When wearing lenses for small eyes, use your finger to stretch the eye open. Small eyes are typically characterized by a smaller eye socket, not smaller eyeballs. By using your index finger to lift the upper eyelid along the eye line and your thumb to lift the lower eyelid, you can easily stretch the eye open.
• Step 6: Gently look downward and slowly release the finger holding the eyelid (it is recommended to release the finger holding the upper eyelid first). Blink naturally and check if the lenses are comfortable.

Precautions: Keep the eyes moist before wearing (look straight ahead after blinking), have dry hands, and shake off excess solution from the lens surface. Open the upper and lower eyelids as much as possible to prevent the lens from touching the eyelashes, causing the eyes to close.

Tips for Maintaining Colored Contact Lenses: Ensuring Longevity and Eye Safety

To maintain the beauty and safety of colored contact lenses, proper maintenance and care are essential. The followings are some valuable tips for maintaining colored contact lenses, ensuring their longevity and promoting eye health.

• Cleanliness is Key: Before handling colored contact lenses, always wash your hands with mild soap and water. Rinse them thoroughly and dry them with a lint-free towel to avoid transferring dirt, oils, or germs onto the lenses.

• Use Recommended Solutions: Only use the contact lens solution recommended by your eye care professional.Avoid using tap water, saliva, or homemade solutions, as they may contain harmful microorganisms that can cause eye infections.
• Follow Proper Cleaning and Storage Techniques: Clean Before and After Use: Clean your colored contact lenses before wearing them and immediately after removal. Place each lens in the palm of your hand and apply a few drops of the recommended solution. Gently rub the lens with your fingertip in a circular motion to remove debris, proteins, and buildup. Rinse the lens thoroughly with the solution to ensure it is clean.

• Use a Clean Lens Case: Always store your colored contact lenses in a clean lens case. Rinse the case with fresh solution and let it air dry after each use.Replace your lens case regularly to prevent bacterial contamination.
• Replace the Solution: Each time you store your lenses, discard the old solution in the lens case and refill it with fresh solution. Avoid reusing or topping up the old solution, as it may no longer provide adequate disinfection.
• Adhere to the Recommended Wearing Schedule: Colored contact lenses come with specific wearing schedules recommended by the manufacturer and your eye care professional. It is essential to follow these guidelines to prevent eye discomfort and maintain the lenses’ integrity. Avoid wearing colored contact lenses for longer durations than advised, as it can lead to dryness, irritation, and potential eye complications.

• Avoid Water Contact: To ensure the safety and longevity of colored contact lenses, it’s important to avoid water contact. Water, whether from swimming pools, hot tubs, showers, or natural bodies of water, may introduce harmful bacteria and other microorganisms to the lenses. Remove your colored contact lenses before engaging in any water-related activities to prevent eye infections.

• Handle with Care: Colored contact lenses require gentle handling to prevent damage. When handling colored contact lenses, be careful not to touch the pigmented area directly. Fingerprints, oils, or residues from skincare products can stain or alter the appearance of the lenses.

• Use Non-Abrasive Solutions: When cleaning or rinsing your colored contact lenses, use solutions specifically designed for soft contact lenses. Avoid using abrasive cleaners, hydrogen peroxide-based solutions, or any products not recommended by your eye care professional.

• Regular Eye Exams: Regular eye exams are essential to monitor the health of your eyes and ensure the proper fit and prescription of colored contact lenses. Schedule routine appointments with your eye care professional to evaluate your eye health and discuss any concerns or questions you may have about your colored contact lenses.

By following these tips, you can maintain the beauty, comfort, and safety of your colored contact lenses. Remember, your eye health is paramount, and proper care and maintenance of your lenses are essential for enjoying their aesthetic benefits without compromising your vision.