If you wear contact lenses, you might find it more challenging at first learning how to put the contacts in your eyes. However, it is just as important to learn the steps necessary to remove the lenses safely. The truth is you can harm your eyes if you are not careful about how you take them out. You also run the risk of losing one of your contacts by not removing the lens properly from each eye.
Step 1
Ask your eye care specialist to give you a demonstration on how to remove contact lenses from your eyes. He can walk you through each step to help you learn the best ways to take out your contacts. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you have them.
Step 2
Wash your hands thoroughly before you touch your eyes to remove your contact lenses. The American Optometric Association recommends that people who wear contacts always wash their hands before handling the lenses. Clean your hands with soap to remove germs and bacteria, and then rinse them thoroughly before drying.
Step 3
Set up an area at your bathroom sink where you can remove your contact lenses. Put the sink stopper down before you start. That way, if a lens drops out of your reach, it should land in the sink and be easy to find.
Step 4
Use your middle finger to pull down on your lower eyelid as you look upward. Take your forefinger and gently slide the lens to the lower area of your eye. Pinch the lens between your thumb and forefinger to remove it. Repeat this step to remove the contact lens from the other eye.
Step 5
Remove your contact lenses using your forefinger and thumb if you would rather do it this way. Your eye care specialist may actually recommend using this method. Take one hand and place it under your eye to give the lens a place to fall. Place your forefinger in the middle of your top eyelid with your thumb positioned in the center of the lower lid. Press in on your eye. The lens should fall out. Repeat to remove the contact lens from the other eye.
Photo Credit
- contact lens case image by Sandra Henderson from Fotolia.com
