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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be afraid of wearing contacts? Help!

32 replies

1300cakes · 03/07/2019 07:10

I'm sick of wearing glasses full time and I'd really like to start wearing contacts. I went to the optometrist and tried to try them, but I couldn't get them in. The optometrist also tried and couldn't. I sort of involuntarily freaked out and pushed her hand away. The thought of putting something in my eye - argh!

I'd really like to at least try them though. They seem so convenient. Has anyone else been a wuss like me, but later came to be a contacts wearer? Any tips?

OP posts:

IhaveALooBrush · 03/07/2019 07:12

It used to take me ages to get my contacts in. I'd say book again and steel yourself.
It won't hurt although it does feel weird at first.
When you're trying to do it at home put the plug in the sink if your mirror is over the sink.

RedSheep73 · 03/07/2019 07:18

I'm a wuss like you, the thought of it freaks me out. I would say just stick to your glasses! also, lots of people I know have said their vision with contacts in wasn't as good as with glasses anyway.

shrumps · 03/07/2019 07:21

It took me a good few weeks to get used to it, and I was totally freaked out by me (or the optician) touching my eye; but I stuck with it.

It definitely gets easier with practice, and for me has been life changing - I was constantly losing my glasses, hated wearing them.

Stick with it - honestly, if I can do it, anyone can!

Bridget1983 · 03/07/2019 07:36

Try rolling your eye in various different ways as you put them in (so upwards and towards centre of forehead or whatever works) just so you’re not staring straight at the lense. Also do it in front of the bathroom mirror - good luck 😊

SnowWhitesRestingBitchFace · 03/07/2019 07:37

I had a trial last month and loved them. I've been wearing glasses for about 13 years now and I don't know why it took me so long to give them a go. I can get them in/out relatively easy now but it was a struggle in the beginning. You just have to persevere.

They are bloody expensive. The cost of 3 months worth (monthlys so 3 pairs of lenses) was the same as my designer glasses which last two years (longer if my prescription hasn't changed).

squee123 · 03/07/2019 07:39

what type are you trying? I can't bear gas permeable but am ok with soft lenses

ineedanotherholiday · 03/07/2019 07:43

I've been wearing them for about 14 years now. At first it took me ages but now I don't even think about it. I've never been funny about touching my eye or anything through. The worst is having them put them in for you.

Take your time, do it at home, in front of a mirror. If it doesn't work just stop and go back to it. You'll get it. I think nothing of it now, i started getting much faster after a couple of weeks. You'll get there

SurferRona · 03/07/2019 07:47

Soft gas lenses and practice. Have you never put eyeliner in your waterline or tightlined? Ever had to fish an eyelash off of your eyeball? There are things which mean you get close or contact your eyeball already, get used to those and try again! So nice not having to swap in glasses/px dummies all summer!

DinoGreen · 03/07/2019 07:48

I used to be so freaked out by the thought of putting anything in my eyes. But I had such an amazing patient teacher at Specsavers! They won’t let you take your contact lenses away until you can demonstrate putting them in and out 3 times and it took me 3 separate lessons before I managed to achieve that! Then for the first few months it used to take me a good 5/10 mins to get them in in the mornings. But you quickly become a pro.

OhDiddums · 03/07/2019 07:48

It took me ages to get the hang of them. I used to take 45 minutes to get them in when I first started wearing them. Ask for a trial and put them in over the bathroom sink if you have a mirror there, just make sure the plug is in so you don't lose them. I found it helped to balance the lense on one finger and use the other hand to keep my eye right open, once you have the lense in blink and it will go into place or look up and down. Honestly best choice I made. 11 years and most people don't realise I wear them or glasses.

PositiveVibez · 03/07/2019 07:52

It's definitely worth perservering. It is really nice to have a change.

I wear glasses for work and contacts at the weekend.

I know have said their vision with contacts in wasn't as good as with glasses anyway

Completely disagree. As your vision is corrected right on top of the lens of your eye, I find my sight superior to wearing glasses.

No tips, but you do get used to it pretty quickly.

Finfintytint · 03/07/2019 07:53

I started using them when my 10 year old got them. If he could use them then so could I!
It just takes a bit of practice. I pay £15 per month and get free glasses and eye checks because of this.
I was fed up of losing my glasses or getting them broken at work.

pinkstinks · 03/07/2019 07:55

I’ve just had laser eye surgery and am now free of both! Best thing I ever did!

Beamur · 03/07/2019 08:01

I've been wearing lenses for decades! Much prefer them to glasses.
You do need to steel yourself and not get too wound up about it. Relax. It will feel a little odd at first, but correctly fitting lenses you won't even feel.
I find looking directly at my eye in a mirror, whilst putting in my lens works fine - you don't look directly at the lens.
It's no worse than putting on eye make up once you get used to it.

NeverPutAWetFootInABirkenstock · 03/07/2019 08:04

I’m thinking of trying them, but I’m scared of taking them out! Perhaps we could team up, I’ll put them in for us and you take them out?

HandsOffMyRights · 03/07/2019 08:06

Don't give up! It has taken me six months to get the knack since January.

I went for three failed fittings at three different opticians, but just couldn't get them in/freaked out by the thought of eyes, kept blinking. The method they showed me (holding top and bottom lids/lashes) was different to my mother's way of sliding them in from the bottom.

I noted down my prescription and ordered some online (I know this goes against professional advice, but it was my last resort).

It took numerous attempts, but without the pressure to perform in front of somebody watching me, I was able to develop my own technique to get them in.

Getting them out was another matter and, after various YouTube tutorials and watching my mother, I perfected the squeeze technique of popping out the lenses.

I have gone from being extremely squeamish (not even being able to look at my eye) to being able to (mostly) get lenses in and out within minutes.

Yes it's been slow, but I'm so pleased I never gave up.

startingtoday · 03/07/2019 08:11

I've had dailies for about a year, love them. You don't ever touch your actual eye. I would suggest you buy a mirror with 10 x magnifying glass so you can see exactly what you are doing , very easy now. Worth persevering !

bellabasset · 03/07/2019 08:12

I can't stand anyone putting anything in my eyes but managed to wear contact lenses for years.

Unfortunately dry eyes - lack of oil - has made it uncomfortable for me to wear lenses. But ironically the sight in my left eye has improved and I will need to have a cataract operation on my right. I am lucky in that I need glasses really for driving only

hadthesnip2 · 03/07/2019 08:16

Well @NeverPutAWetFootInABirkenstock you'd love the contacts I have to wear. Scleral ones which you have to insert & remove with a "plunger". I literally have to pull them out. And they are twice as big as normal lenses & are rigid too.

Pascha · 03/07/2019 08:18

I've had my lenses a year now, since I started wearing them to join in with my kids activities. At first it took an average of 20 attempts to get them in, now I'm down to half a dozen per eye so that's progress. I still struggle to get them out though. It hurts a bit if I pinch the lens too hard and catch my eyeball.

My eyesight isn't as good with lenses as with glasses. Distance vision is fine but close reading is harder, I struggle to focus on my phone or a menu without blurring.

Also I find them slightly itchy and dry to wear, even with the more lubricated versions, so at the end of the day I'm glad to get them out and put my glasses back on.

I'm glad I have them, but I do prefer glasses for everyday.

HandsOffMyRights · 03/07/2019 10:21

Echoing what a couple of others have said..
I have dry eyes and can only wear contacts weekends etc.

I wear multifocals and they are not as good as my glasses for reading etc but fine for a night out.

WhyTho · 03/07/2019 10:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NeverPutAWetFootInABirkenstock · 03/07/2019 11:12

Argh, hadthesnip, you've made my legs go funny.

Sugar19sugar1919 · 03/07/2019 11:13

Recently I've had to wear hearing aids (hereditary hearing loss unfortunately) and have worn glasses for sometime now but they've become very uncomfortable with the h.aids. So I thought I'd try contact lenses. It took some time to get used to them but boy is it worth persevering. I use dailies which are the soft lenses and if I'm careful with them, I can make them last 2/3 days which helps with the cost.

OMGLongVac · 03/07/2019 11:29

If you put a drop or two of saline solution into the lens before trying to put it in, the lens kind of zhoops itself onto your eye when the saline solution touches against the surface of your eye. So you only feel coldness, rather than the sensation of anything touching your eye.

I'm another one whose vision is in some ways better with lenses, because everything is the right size, rather than shrunk the way it is with glasses, and I have Actual Peripheral Vision.

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