Contact lenses! How easy did you find them?

[idobelieveinfairies]

I'm off to the opticians tomorrow for contact lenses. I am a bit worried about her trying to put them in though..i am usually a person that goes off and learns things in my own time.

Any tips? Did you manage to put them in first time?? If not how long did you persevere for???

I tried years a go with the help of my very experienced sister and couldn't do it..my eye just closes as soon as anything gets close!!

I am really nervous

Your optician will be able to help and will have lots of suggestions. I find it helps to look away from the lens so I don't have to fight the reflex to close my eye as I see something approaching it! Although this means I put the lens on the white of my eye, it soon floats to the correct place! HTH.

Soft lenses much easier to cope with than hard or gas permeable, despite better longevity with hard/gas permeable. But with cheapo disposable lenses that isn't really an issue now.

I could never look at the lens either, or look in the mirror - had to do what ABO did, look away from the lens and put it on the cornea (white) of the eye, then close my eye and it positioned itself properly (think this only works with soft lenses as well)

My optician could NOT hold my eyelids open while he was trying to place the damn thing straight over my iris - my reflexes were way too strong. He finally gave up and put it on the cornea.

Thanks ladies, ones you sleep in aye!!! So how long can you actualloy wear them for before needing to change them??

Do you find it easier putting them in our taking them out??

Have had contacts since I was 14 (now 42). Started off wearing hard lenses (no longer available except for special conditions) and now wearing gas perm lenses. Tried soft lenses last year but couldn't get on with them at all.

A good optitian will give you time and lots of advice. Keep calm and don't give up. Once you've done it it's like riding a bike.

I look in a mirror when I put mine in. I find if I concentrate on looking at my reflection rather than what's heading for my eye the blinking reflex doesn't kick in.

HTH, and good luck!

Oh some great tips. Do you think the optician will let me take them home if i have failed to put them in myself at the shop???

When I was trying out the soft lenses last year the optician let me take them home and even phoned a couple of times to see how I was getting on. Great service.

Things may have changed now but when I first had contacts, ~25y ago, they put some test lenses in my eyes (i.e. not my exact prescription) to see how I got on with them. I had to wander around for a couple of hours (I think) and then go back and report on how it all felt.
Don't know whether they still do that or not.

I imagine the optician will let you take them home if you can't manage to put them in yourself - how else are you going to practise? It's not like the lenses are going to suffer if you can't put them in (thinking of not being allowed to take baby home before breastfeeding established if that's what is preferred)

haha yep, slightly different thumbwitch. I meant i am hoping i don't have to go back again for another half an hour and try again! I'd much rather get on with it at home!

I've worn hard lenses since I was 11 (am now 35) and find the thought of soft lenses horrifying but I know I'm in the minority and all my friends think I'm a bit odd for persisting with them.

Hard or soft lenses, it's all pretty easy and after a few weeks, you'll feel like you've been wearing them forever :)

I've worn hard lenses since I was 11 (am now 35) and find the thought of soft lenses horrifying but I know I'm in the minority and all my friends think I'm a bit odd for persisting with them.

Hard or soft lenses, it's all pretty easy and after a few weeks, you'll feel like you've been wearing them forever :)

Apols for double post