I'm a contact lense virgin - any tips please?

[mckenzie]

I tried contact lenses about 8 years ago and gave up as i just could not get them in my eyes. I've decided to have another go and have just taken delivery of my first pack of Dailies.
I've just spent 10 mins in front of the bathroom mirror and now I have one sore right eye and still no contact lense in.

Any tips please?

TIA

mc, have a little break and try again. it is hard to overcome the reflex that stops you putting stuff in your eye, but within a week or two it will be easy peasy

Dailies are quite big, so I found that to start with I had to hold my eye exaggeratedly (is that a word?) wide open. I would hold it open until after I felt the lense go onto the eye properly. The problems came when I let go too soon.

just keep trying and eventually you'll get the hang of it
however, I used to daily ones at first and they didn't fit my eye property - I swapped them for monthly ones and they're fine and have been for 10 years. HTH

Prise your eye open as wide as you can with left hand...Position contact lens on right forefinger, make sure that it isn't too wet (or it will stick to your finger)
Put lens directly on to iris and then look left, then right to make sure it is on!

Try to get a good grip on your upper lid while holding down your lower one with one had.
Position the contact on the tip of one of your fingers on the other hand.
When you bring the contact up to the eye try not to look away.
It takes a bit of getting used too, but take it easy as nicky says you'll end up with sore eyes.
Good luck

My 10yo DD started wearing dailiy disposable contact lenses a few months ago (for sport - hockey, netball, riding, dancing and judo).

She had the same problem as you but now she's a pro - you'll get there. She did have quite a training session at the optician's though, and went back for more when she was getting frustrated at not being able to do it immediately.

She looks down and opens her eye VERY wide, much more than I have to to get my gas permeables in.

I had awful problems and am only just getting it sorted. A lens-wearer suggested NOT trying to put it on the iris (as my optician told me) but to look up and put it half-on and half-off the iris. She said it stopped you panicking. Seems to have worked and now I can put it in directly. Getting the buggers out is a different story though.

The opticians do drops called Refresh Eyes which I've found brilliant when things have gone wrong and my eyes are sore

I'll admit to having a small alcoholic beverage to numb the eye reflex when I first tried out contact lenses - obviously not recommended first thing in the morning! Fortunately I got the hang of it quickly (before I developed a serious drink problem)

do i need to have my head upright then or can i look down/sideways etc? Should i try with the mirror on my lap perhaps?

sorry, meant to also say thanks very much for all the replies and advice so far.

Hi - not sure if this will be of any help but I am an old-school contact lense user (have had them for 22 years) so originally wore hard contact lenses. With hard lenses you have to put a couple of drops of solution on the lense before you place in the eye - I still do this with my soft lenses and feel it makes them easier to insert.
The cooling liquid feels more comfortable and the lense can then 'float' on the eye instead of immediately 'sucking' onto your eye.
Good luck - keep trying, I am sure you will get the hang of it soon.

Forget about trying to get them in tonight, go and have a cup of tea, let your eye calm down, then book an appointment with your optician tomorrow so that they can help you put them in.

I wanted contact lenses but my optician would not allow me them until I had convinced his technician that I could put them in and take them out easily - as well as knowing all the hygiene drill. After two sessions with the technician I still couldn't put both in and couldn't get them out (blink too much) so abandoned this and now have to wear specs all the time, unfortunately.

Yeah, they dont normally let you have them until they are confident that you can put them in and out. They also put them in for you the first time you try them.

that was me 8 years ago lilymaid. i finally cracked it and passed the technician's test but once I got home and didn't have him verbally guiding my every move it all went wrong and I stuck to glasses.
The same opticians this time though are no longer it seems quite as friendly and helpful and want to charge an initial £40 to register me for lenses etc and then my actual lenses through them are much more expensive than on line too.
That's why i thoguht I'd try myself. I'm seeing a friend tomorrow who is a longtime wearer so maybe i'll wait now and take them with me tomorrow and ask her for some help.

Get laser surgery - works a treat and no more bobbling around trying to get the blinking things in, then out again with sore eyes!

Only read the OP but the only thing I would say is Persevere.. It took me months to truly be comfortable in them but different brands feel different..

for financial reasons that's got to wait until next year who did you use wmmc?

I used Boots and they don't do it anymore, but tons of people on here have had it done, just post a thread about laser eye surgery or do a search and I'm sure you can find some recommendations. I was -5.75 and -4.75 btw and I now have 20/20 vision and that's five years later so it does last.