if you wear contact lenses please help before I cry and give up

[oldfatgreycat]

I have a trial of lenses at the grand old age of 49.
I just spent an hour in front of a mirror trying and failing to even get one in. I am ok touching my eye. I have the lens on my finger, hold my eye open and touch the eye. But it won’t stick. I move my finger away and it’s still there. I’ve tried blinking then it creases up.
Clearly I don’t have an hour in a morning spare to be messing with lenses so am close to giving up.
Any tips? What am I doing wrong??

Did they not show you in the opticians what to do? They don't normally let you walk away with them until they are happy you have got the hang of it.

Is you finger damp? I have issues if my finger is too dry and the lens sticks to it.

Have you put a few drops of cleaning/storage solution on the lens before trying to insert? I commiserate because there's definitely a knack!

Make sure the lens is moist and your eyes aren't dry. You can get drops for this if they are.

Look upwards slightly and place the lens on the white part of your eye.

I feel your pain, when I started wearing them 10 years ago it took me literally hours to get the bastard things out. It becomes second nature very quickly.

They need to be nicely wet for easy suction so be sure they are not drying out too much while you're trying to get them in. Keep dipping back into the pods

2 finger's, rest the lens in the create between them. Drop of saline on the lens. Look straight in to mirror. Position lens just below iris. Look slowly down so lens slides on to iris whole allowing lens to position and any bubbles to pop. gently remove fingers. Helps if you sit at a table so you can steady your hand.

This happened on my first try. And then the second and third.

What worked for me was:

1. Balance the contact on the tip of your finger like a bowl
2. Tip head to the side
3. Touch the side of your eye with contact so it kind of soaks on to the eye
4. Let go and without blinking looking into the contact, so it now moves more to the front of your eye
5. Open eyes a bit and then blink gently, not repeatedly
6. You might have some liquid fall out but that’s normal
7. Done! Now you can see

It does take time to get used to it. Also I find some contacts easier to put in than others.

I suppose actually you're not putting the lens on the white part, but I find it easier NOT to aim directly for the iris, and then sort of slide it up a tiny a bit.

I make sure my finger is dry and put two or three drops of solution in the lens so the suction works on my eye not my finger.

Have you got in around the right way, if you're not it will flip the other way. Put it in the crease of your 'heart line' in your palm and squeeze it together, you will be able to tell whether it's folding or trying to flip.

If it's any consolation, I spent nearly 3/4 hour with my opticians trying to get them in when I first had them and he was getting so annoyed he just popped them in. I had to go home and just practice. It'll come in time, it's just practice OP, it wasn't long before I could just pop them in without a mirror.

I find the knack is to look off centre when putting the lens onto the centre of your eye, and then move your pupil to where the lens is with your finger still on the lens. It kind of grabs it better that way.
And to remove, look to the centre, finger on lens, look to the side keeping lens where it is (so it stops it moving to the side with your pupil), and pinch your lens off.

I agree with pp though, your optician should have gone through this with you. Unless you bought them online?
If you can't manage it, go to opticians and ask for help. They stand to make money out of it so should help.

Agree with all the above. Use saline solution. A bit on your finger that is holding the lens, a drop inside the lens itself, use your other hane to hold your eyelid up and pop it in.
Practice makes perfect.

I did manage it in the optician after a while. Now I’m thinking it was a fluke.
So currently I’m looking into the mirror and staring at myself. So I’m going to try looking away and making sure lens is wet. Will let you know how I get on!

I would always have a wet finger (saline!) and dip the lense, balance it on one finger and just touch to the eye. You can't be leaning too much forwards though.

I've had lenses since I was 16 (now 34!!) and I still clearly remember the frustrating and painful hours of practise before I got it right. I can do it now without even thinking about it and never need a mirror. If you're determined, keep trying - it's not easy so I guess it depends how much you care.

My DH tried and gave up because he didn't mind having glasses instead.

I managed to sort out my quite blinky 13 year old and his new contacts over the half term break. It can be done, but it does take a bit of time and practice. He's now quite good at getting them in and out every day..

Make sure they're moist enough; dry contacts won't go in.

Make sure your finger isn't actually trying to press them down on to your eyeball; you just need to have the contact touching down.

I found that by looking up slightly and using my middle finger to pull the skin under my eye down slightly helps as I pop it in on my pointer finger. Then blink a few times to settle it.

If eyelashes are blinking and hitting it, like my son's initially, I actually put a finger over them then held them up until he got the hang of it.
It can take a while to find your way ... I do remember how I struggled and cried over my own 20+ years ago... but easy peasy now. It does take some time.

Thanks all still no luck:( I have to go out now but will try again later. I suspect I will end up going back to the opticians tboigh .

Try it without the mirror. You might find it easier.

It’s just a normal reaction to poking stuff in your eye! It gets easier.

For what it’s worth I use Rigid Gas Permeable lenses. They last for years so option chains aren’t fans - would rather you pay £20 a month or whatever.

They are smaller and hard so they go in and flick out easily. They are more irritating until you get used to them ( takes a week at most). My optician said people don’t have the patience for that. But they are incredibly easy to use and cost £150 a pair which last years ( obviously check up are advisable).

Don't use a mirror. If you are looking at the lens it will end up in exactly the right place!

Clean, dry fingertip, moist lens. It sounds like you are not quite touching the eye firmly enough.

I feel for you op, I've been wearing them for 19 years now but it took me over an hour each time the first few times. You'll find you get the back really easily once you've done it a few times. Stick at it, they are life changing!

It definitely gets better.. when I first I got mine it took ages and I looked like I’d been sobbing, now I do it in a second. Someone told me that your brain almost has to retrain itself that it’s ok for you to be sticking something in your eye!
I find it easier when I look in the mirror and look at myself...

Been doing this since 13!!key thing is to roll your eyeball around, it picks up the lens.

I was the same age as you when I first tried them, it took me ages to master it and had to go back to the opticians and have a remedial lesson with a very patient staff member before I cracked it.

Dry fingertip, and look up/down and left to right before you try to blink

I put it on my eye and kind of rub it a Bit.
I've been wearing & doing it for over 15 years though so comes second nature.
Don't give up OP