It is possible to experience great freedom and convenience when you are able to see clearly through your contact lenses as opposed to using regular glasses. Nevertheless, safe use of contact lenses involves much more than simply putting them on your eyes and taking them out at night. Hygiene, fitting, handling, and storage of these lenses are some of the aspects that ensure comfort and good health of your eyes. The same applies to the use of colour contact lenses regardless of whether they are used for vision correction or cosmetic purposes. Good handling of contact lenses ensures that you do not irritate your eyes unnecessarily.
Start with a Professional Eye Examination
The first and foremost thing you must do before buying or wearing any contact lenses is have yourself examined by a qualified optometrist. A professional optometrist will be able to check your vision and the measurements of your eyes and help you choose the right design of lenses depending on your individual needs. This is especially true when talking about cosmetic colored contact lenses as they must fit properly as well. It should be remembered that not every design of contact lenses will fit perfectly to every eye shape and prescription. Professional fitting will help your lenses move properly and allow enough oxygen through them.
Why Proper Fitting Matters?
It goes without saying that properly fitted contact lenses will be easy to wear and not cause constant redness or abnormal movement. Improperly fitted lenses will cause friction and therefore lead to discomfort while blinking or wearing them for too long. It is also important for the colored contact lenses regardless of their being chosen purely cosmetically.
Never Share Your Prescription
Prescription contacts are custom made because everybody has different eye requirements. The wearing of someone else’s contact lenses may result in poor vision and poor fitting. This applies to tinted contact lenses even in cases where they will be used once on some special occasions. There is also a possibility of passing bacteria and any other form of contamination through the sharing of contacts. Do not use any kind of lens which has not been recommended specifically for you.
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Wash Your Hands Before Handling Lenses
It is the simplest and likely the most significant precaution you can take when using lenses. Hands have oils, dirt, makeup, and microorganisms that can get to the surface of your contact lenses. When you are using tinted contact lenses, ensure that you clean your hands before touching the lenses using a mild soap.
Avoid Oily or Scented Products
Very fragrant soaps and lotions may have left some deposits on your hands that may find its way into the contact lenses. It is probable that these deposits may irritate your eyes when they come in contact with the lenses. The situation may repeat itself when you use colored contact lenses if you use any make-up products or lotions before wearing your contact lenses. Use light soaps to wash your hands and afterwards clean your lenses.
Handle Lenses Carefully
It is important that you handle your lenses with the tips of your fingers and never with the help of nails. Examine your lenses to see if they have any damages or deposits on them. Don’t wear any lenses that are damaged. In the case of colored lenses it is important that you examine the surface of your lenses as the cosmetic needs to cover the entire lens.
Learn the Correct Insertion Technique
Insertion is also a crucial step of wearing contact lenses correctly. Firstly, place the lens on the tip of your clean index finger and check that it has the right orientation. Use your second hand to hold your upper eyelid and pull your lower eyelid with the second finger of your first hand. Looking either straight ahead or up, put the lens on your eye. The same process is performed when using colored contact lenses but you should pay more attention in order not to damage the decoration on them. With some practice, you will easily perform this process.
Check the Lens Before Inserting
Before putting contact lenses on your eyes, examine them carefully in adequate lighting. You cannot put a damaged or dirty contact lens into your eye, otherwise it will irritate immediately. In case of using colored contact lenses, check the coloring pattern of the lens as well. If there are any problems with the lens, better replace it with a new one and do not risk it.
Give Your Eyes Time to Adjust
At the beginning of using the contact lenses, a user can find the feeling of their existence quite noticeable. The feeling needs to disappear as the lenses become accustomed to being worn. Some colored contact lenses will appear different due to the special material from which they are made. In case any pains occur, one needs to put aside the lenses and consult with an eye care specialist. Do not attempt to use contact lenses which do not fit well enough.
Follow the Recommended Wearing Schedule
Every single pair of the contact lenses has a number of recommendations concerning the hours one is allowed to wear them for. Some of the contact lenses should be worn on a daily basis, while other lenses need to be changed often. Although some colored contact lenses may appear quite best, it does not mean that they can be used for a longer period of time. The extended period of wearing contact lenses leads to eye dryness.
Take Breaks When Necessary
If you feel like your eyes are becoming dry and tired, remove your contact lenses and give your eyes some time to relax. Working with the computer screen for a long time might make you feel discomfort due to the decrease in the rate of blinking. If you wear your colored contact lenses at some event or party lasting for a long time, then do not forget to pay attention to the signals that your eyes send you. This may help you prevent some problems.
Remove Contact Lenses the Right Way
When removing your contact lenses, just as when inserting them, it is important to treat this process with the same care as you show while putting them on. First of all, clean and dry your hands properly. You should look up and pinch your lower eyelid with one hand while holding your lens with your other fingers and removing it. If you wear colored contact lenses, try not to put too much pressure on them.
Never Sleep in Lenses Without Approval
Using contacts at sleep time becomes risky without the approval of an eye health specialist if it is intended to be worn at night. Although coloured contacts may fit comfortably when worn for long periods of time, it should still be taken out from the eyes before going to bed unless advised otherwise by the professionals. Using them at night lowers oxygen supply to the cornea and increases risk of problems associated with them. Always adhere to the recommended schedule for your contacts.
Care for Reusable Lenses Properly
Reusable contact lenses need to be cared for properly after they have been used daily. Only use the disinfecting solution recommended by your eye health specialist and never substitute with water. It is the same for the coloured reusable contact lenses which also need special treatment. Always use new solutions and always keep the storage container clean.
Replace Lenses on Schedule
Each and every kind of contact lens is associated with the particular schedule of use, and you need to follow it without any deviations. Do not try to wear your lenses past the expiration date even if they look perfectly clean. This principle applies to coloured contact lenses no matter how often you wear them. The lenses become older with time, and there is a risk of building deposits on the surface of the lenses which can affect their performance.
Recognize Warning Signs
Another aspect of safe lens use consists of recognizing some signs which indicate that there are some problems with your eyes. Redness, pain, swelling, increased sensitivity to the light, and sudden blurred vision cannot be neglected in case of wearing contact lenses. In case of occurrence of the same symptoms during use of coloured contact lenses, you need to take them out immediately and get professional advice.
Recognize Warning Signs
Knowing the symptoms of possible problems is also a part of safe wearing of contact lenses. Redness, pain, inflammation, unusual sensitivity to light or blurring vision are all symptoms that should not be overlooked while wearing contact lenses. In case any of these symptoms appear when wearing coloured contact lenses, you should take them off and contact an expert. Uncomfortable lenses will make an existing problem worse. Recognizing the warning signs will help you to act on time and keep your eyes healthy.
Conclusion
Knowledge about how to wear coloured contact lenses safely will help you to see comfortably and keep your eyes healthy in the future. Each step of wearing coloured contact lenses is important: from professional fitting and washing your hands to the correct way of putting, taking off, cleaning and replacement of contact lenses. The same rules apply to coloured contact lenses no matter whether you wear them regularly or occasionally. Select only correctly fitting lenses and always follow professional advice. Safe practices will give you enjoyment with contact lenses and coloured contact lenses.
