[MoreCowbell]

About 10 days ago, I got contact lenses. I've never worn them before, I was always a glasses guy (usually just for distance and driving). To put it mildly, I love using the lenses. I see clearly, no glasses on my face, etc etc.

HOWEVER...

It seems like an out-and-out war every single morning getting these things into my eyes. It was so bad this morning in fact that I couldn't even do it after 15 minutes of failed attempts and i'm wearing glasses today.

I'm a righty. Usually I can get it in my right eye in one or two tries. The left eye is a just a compelte distaster. I put it in, it pops out. I put it in, it pops out. I put it in, it pops out. I put it in, it pops out. I put it in, it pops out.

It usually winds up on my eyelash or my nose. I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW THIS IS POSSIBLE!!!

My method is sitting down, using a mirror, pulling the lower lid down and place the lens in my eye.

Please help. Somebody!!! A tip. Some advice. What your method is. ANYTHING!!! I don't want to go back to glasses and I can't be having meltdowns every morning.

Thanks in advance.

(((Let's not turn this thread into a 'you should get lasic' discussion)))

[KL2DC]

I was exactly like that in the beginning.

What can I say? It gets better with regular practice.

What I do is place the lens on my middle finger (right hand) and use my left hand fingers to kinda pry both my eyelids open (you mentioned only the lower lid). Place the lens square in the middle of your eyeball (duh). Close your eyes for a second or two (moving your eyeballs helps) to settle the lens, blink a couple of times and you should be good to go. Try not to let the lens dry up too much as you struggle to get it in. If it does, be sure to rewet it. When they are too dry they become difficult to put on and uncomfortable to wear.

[darkcloud]

Put left contact on your right index finger. Use your right middle finger to pull your left bottom eyelid down. then use your left middle finger and lift your left upper eyelid up. Insert contact with right index finger. Done.

[DougLikesBMW]

Not to poke fun or anything, but that is kinda funny to me now, looking back on when I first got contacts. You said you onlu pull the lower lid down? You need to pull the upper lid up as well.

Here is my method for both eyes (I'm a righty too):
- Place lens on middle finger of right hand, and make sure its the right side out, edges should look like a bowl not sharp.
- Use pointer finger of right hand to pull lower lid down.
- Use middle finger on left hand to pull upper lid up.

Make sure that the lens is all nice and wet before it goes in your eye. Also, something that helps me is moving the contact in a circular motion when it's on my eye to transfer some of that wetness so my eye is lubed up too.

I'm sure it's not hard for you to pull them out. I just use the respective pointer of each hand for each eye.

Hope that helps. I hate wearing contacts sometimes. When you get something in your eye it is a MAJOR pain in the ass. ALWAYS keep a spare set with you and a little travel dropper of solution with you. Believe me. After wearing these things for about 5 years I've learned that you should always have a spare. On prom night my contact just randomly popped out, never happened before, luckily it was towards the end of the night, but damn that sucked.

[GSXRM3]

What I do for both eyes is put the contact on index finger. I use my middle finger to pull my lower lid down and other hand to pull upper upm then it just pops right in. Practice is what it takes to get comfortable. I remember when i first got them the optomotrist made me do it myseld before they'd let me leave and it took me like an hour to di it.

[MCS]

It helps if your eyes are not dry.

Either yawn a coupe of times before putting in or put a couple of saline solution drops into the contact lens before placing them in your eye.

[MoreCowbell]

Originally Posted by MCS

It helps if your eyes are not dry.

Either yawn a coupe of times before putting in or put a couple of saline solution drops into the contact lens before placing them in your eye.

I've been putting them in after showering. Usually I dry my eyes, get dressed and do it. Are my eyes to dry?

[DougLikesBMW]

Originally Posted by MoreCowbell

I've been putting them in after showering. Usually I dry my eyes, get dressed and do it. Are my eyes to dry?

Your eyes may be dry...What I do is just dip my finger in the contact case to get some solution on my finger then just put my finger to the outer side of my eye. Helps quite a bit.

[MoreCowbell]

Originally Posted by DougLikesBMW

Your eyes may be dry...What I do is just dip my finger in the contact case to get some solution on my finger then just put my finger to the outer side of my eye. Helps quite a bit.

My issue here (you guys must think i'm completely retarded...I promise, I'm a functioning human, I have a job and everything!!!) is that if my finger is wet then the lens becomes hard to manipulate and hard to place on the tip of my finger.

[KL2DC]

I find it if my fingers are wet, the lens tend to stick to my finger tips...

[BlueLion]

don't worry it gets easier....now i do it with a mirror, but when i first got them i couldn't get them in on time for work and ended up wearing my glasses the that day......

just use the above mentioned technique and remember to make sure you hands are clean wash them, but don't dry them with your towel or else you will have lint on your hands and transfer them to your contacts...

(side note, im wearing glasses today)

[MoreCowbell]

Originally Posted by KL2DC

I find it if my fingers are wet, the lens tend to stick to my finger tips...

Exactly!!!

[Tondtar]

Originally Posted by MoreCowbell

.... if my finger is wet then the lens becomes hard to manipulate and hard to place on the tip of my finger.

I am sure there is a joke somewhere in above statement if OP allows replacing the word "lens" with another more appropriate one

[Couch]

Originally Posted by darkcloud

Put left contact on your right index finger. Use your right middle finger to pull your left bottom eyelid down. then use your left middle finger and lift your left upper eyelid up. Insert contact with right index finger. Done.

+1

I had the same problem when I first got mine OP. Took me forever to get both in. Then one day I realized it didn't take me any time.

The biggest problem with contacts is having to remember your solution/rinse and case if you are staying somewhere or just in case you stay somewhere. For me anyway. I have to or they dry out.

Having never had to wear glasses, then straight into contacts 2 years ago, I hate them. Especially having bad allergies.

I can't wait till my eyes quit chaning so I can get lasik.

[TheSpungos]

Originally Posted by Couch

+1

I had the same problem when I first got mine OP. Took me forever to get both in. Then one day I realized it didn't take me any time.

+2 I was ready to just chuck mine and go back to glasses when I first got them. It's much better now. You'll get the hang of it.

As others have said, it sounds like the lens or you eye may be too dry. Until I got better at it, I found that a small amount of solution on the inside of the lens (the part that touches your eye) made it stick better. Just a tiny bit is all you need.

[Blake]

contacts! hated them! you'll get used to them after a few weeks and you'll find it becomes easier than putting shoes on. when i used to wear them, i always had problems blinking while putting them in there. so i used to (i'm left handed, btw) put the contact on my left index finger while holding to bottom part of my eye open with my middle finger. at the same time, i used to grab my eyelashes with my right hand and hold the upper eyelid open. pop the contact on your cornea then pull my upper eyelid over it...all the air bubbles purged out easily and it got snug on there very quickly without error. i found that to be the best way and it worked the first time every time.

sorry to plug lasik, but if you can afford it, i suggest getting lasik surgery. you'll end up saving money in the long run compared to buying contacts for years at a time. i'm glad i did, one of the best things you can do for yourself if you have poor vision. it's almost painless and the benefits are almost immediate. my surgery took less than 5 minutes. it's so amazing to walk out of your doctor's office right after surgery and be able to read street signs and books without correction...i used to have REALLY bad eyesight!

[bigslickak]

I would suggest NOT putting them in after showering. I put them in before. Just don't get water in your eyes in the shower.

When I would put them in after showering: A. my eyes would be too dry and B. it actually would sting a little due to my fingers having soap residue or something on them.

Just stick with it and soon enough it will be second nature. The wetness thing is key. If your eyes and the lenses are wet enough, then you should just be able to barely touch the lenses to the eyeball and it will kind of just suck itself into place.

[MoreCowbell]

I hink a big part of issue is not having the lens on my finger in the correct position. Can anybody offer any help here?

[xraymd]

You'll definitely get better with practice. I use the daily ones now and love them. No more solution or cases!

If you have one that keeps "popping out," make sure you don't have it in backwards. I've had friends new to contacts have this same problem. You can't flip contacts either way, there is one curve they want to maintain. Try putting the lens in a crease of your palm. When you gently fold the contact, does it want to roll up like a taco? If so, you've got the correct curve. If it tries to lie flat against your hand, it's backwards and you need to flip it over.

[asdflkijd]

it gets better trust me, I was like that at first too. Now after about 4 years of wearing them I can put them on with one hand, without a mirror and while im drunk

[GreenThree]

Dude, I feel you pain, the first time I ever tried putting contacts in, it was really strange. I was 14! The fact that an object all of a sudden has to sit on your eye does not fare well with the fact that there has been nothing there all those years! My first attempt took me about a half hour, and I looked like I was super baked.

Best method. Put contact lense on index finger. (If you are a righty, use right hand for both eyes.) Put 2 drops of solution in the contact lense. Hold the bottom of your eye open, and voila! Oh yea, also put 2 drops of solution in your eye before putting them in. Good luck!

[Sara]

Originally Posted by asdflkijd

it gets better trust me, I was like that at first too. Now after about 4 years of wearing them I can put them on with one hand, without a mirror and while im drunk

Ive worn them for years.. Wearing them now actually. I can take them out without a mirror but cant put them in. What SUCKS is being a girl I wear eye make up. If a tiny piece of makeup gets into my eye its OUCH!!!!!!!!