Beginners Guide to Contact Lenses

A Guide to Contact Lenses for Beginners

If you are thinking about wearing contact lenses, even before you go to the optometrist, it is worth doing a bit of research to see what options are out there and to see if you think contact lenses are for you.

Often, the biggest concern about contact lenses for beginners is the insertion and removal of contact lenses. Don't be afraid; this is easily and quickly mastered and nowhere near as scary as you think.

If you are ready to dive into the world of contact lenses, check out our 10 beginner tips which should ease your worries and fire you up to book a contact lens fitting and trial appointment!

1. Who Can Wear Contact Lenses?

Almost anyone can wear contact lenses when properly fitted by a qualified optometrist or eye doctor, so you are almost certainly able to wear them.

Contact lenses are suitable for: 

Aesthetic Reasons - if you don't want to wear glasses or are fed up with wearing them, then contact lenses offer a real alternative, they offer an unobstructed view of the world and the world an unobstructed view of you. Whilst still allowing you to see the world clearly.

Active Lifestyles - Contact lenses are great for people who partake in sports or have physically active lifestyles, hobbies, or work activities, they correct your vision without the risk of them falling off or getting broken.

Specific Needs - Modern lenses and materials make them a great option for people with astigmatism, presbyopia or for orthokeratology (ortho-K) treatment.

Contact lenses are not suitable for:

Certain Eye Conditions - Some conditions such as severe dry eyes or allergies can mean wearing contact lenses is uncomfortable or impractical for long periods. Don't just assume you can't wear lenses, speak to your optometrist to discuss different materials and optimal wear times for you.

Poor Hygiene - If you know you don't have the time or inclination to focus on good hygiene or your lifestyle creates an unhygienic environment, then maybe contact lenses aren't for you. It's still with speaking to your optometrist as it may be a different type of wear schedule, which would be helpful, just weekends, holidays, etc

Very Young Children - Children from the age of 10 should be able to handle the responsibility of contact lenses, but children under that age would probably need help from an adult. There are conditions where very young children are prescribed contact lenses such as following cataract surgery, or to enhance the appearance of an eye, but this is normally done under hospital care.

2. Types Of Contact Lenses Available

Soft contact lenses are by far the most popular lines, according to Opticianonline.net 98% of new contact lens fittings are for soft lenses, leaving just 2% for rigid lenses, so we can be pretty sure, you are going to be fitted with soft contact lenses, but which ones will depend on many factors.

Soft contact lenses are broken down into 2 main materials:

Hydrogel - This material has been around since the 1980s, so it is tried, tested and well loved by wearers, optometrists, and the eyes. Hydrogel is a gel-like, thin, water-loving material, so it keeps your eyes well hydrated throughout the day.

Silicone Hydrogel - This is like an upgrade to the regular hydrogel lenses. Silicone hydrogel has become popular in the past few years as the advanced material allows up to 5 times more oxygen to reach the cornea than regular hydrogel lenses. 

Both of these materials have 4 main wearing modes:

Daily Lenses - These are the most popular type of lenses and the most convenient and hygienic wearing option, you wear them only once then throw them out, meaning there is very little time for protein and deposit build up.

2 Weekly Lenses - A popular option as they are a halfway house between daily disposable lenses and monthly disposable lenses, a healthy option due to wearing them for just 2 weeks as opposed to 30 days.

Monthly Lenses - A popular option mainly due to price, but growing in popularity with people looking for a more environment-friendly contact lens option.

Extended-wear Lenses - these lenses are a great option for people who need to see immediately on waking up, so firefighters, doctors on call or new mums. You wear the lens continuously for 1, 2, or up to 4 weeks, depending on the recommendation of your optometrist. These have become more viable with the introduction of silicone hydrogel lenses.

These can further be broken down into:

Regular spherical lenses - These are prescribed to correct common refractive errors such as nearsightedness (myopia) and farsightedness (hyperopia) and sometimes mild astigmatism.

Toric Lenses - These are used to correct astigmatism. Toric lenses have different powers in different meridians to address any irregularity in the eye(s) that may be caused by astigmatism.

Multifocal Lenses - These are also known as Varifocal contact lenses and are designed to correct the effects of presbyopia. They do this by using multiple prescription powers in one lens, and they work similarly to varifocal spectacles to allow you to focus on objects at varying distances.

and let's not forget:

Coloured lenses - These are designed to change the colour of your eyes. You can wear coloured contact lenses whether you need contact lenses or glasses, or whether you have perfect vision. Some people, including influencers and movie stars use coloured contact lenses to change the colour of their eyes to enhance an outfit, to look younger, more youthful or to make their eyes ”pop” on a photoshoot. Coloured lenses can also be used to cosmetically disguise an eye condition such as Heterochromia iridum whereby the eyes are of two different colours.

3. What Are The Best Contact Lenses? 

I'm not sure it's possible to choose just one contact lens to be the GOAT, determining the best contact lens for you will depend on your needs, your lifestyle and your budget.

Here are 5 of our favourites:

• Best For: General daily wear, sensitive eyes and convenience. - 1-Day Acuvue Moist
• Best For: All-day comfort and dry eyes with or without astigmatism - Total1
• Best For: Active lifestyles and digital eye strain, with or without astigmatism - Acuvue Oasys 1-Day with HydraLuxe
• Best For: Monthly wear, cost-effectiveness and high oxygen needs - Biofinity
• Best For:  Daily, monthly and coloured lenses at affordable prices - Our very own lenses brand Crystal

4. How To Insert Contact Lenses

This is one of the major concerns for new contact lens wearers, along with how to take them out, but don't panic; we will walk you through the process. 

Follow our simple five-step process to get your contacts in:

1. Clean your hands.
2. Remove the contact lens from its case.
3. Separate your upper and lower lid.
4. Place the contact lens on your eye.
5. Blink slowly to allow the lens to settle

5. How To Remove Contact Lenses 

OK, so you've got your lenses in, but how do you get them out?

Don't panic; a simple four-step process will get your contacts out. 

1. Clean your hands.
2. Pull down your lower eyelid.
3. Pinch the contact lens gently.
4. Look up and slide the lens downwards

It's that simple; however, some people can get anxious about not getting the lenses out the first time, so if you'd like more info, check out our How to Remove Contact Lenses guide and video here.

6. How to Look After Your Contact Lenses

You will be advised by your optometrist on how best to look after your contact lenses, but here's the basics.

If you're wearing daily lenses, this is pretty simple. It's just a case of making sure you have good hand hygiene, applying fresh new lenses every morning and removing and disposing of the lenses after each wear.  

If you are wearing monthly lenses, it helps to get into a routine as this will help make the process of keeping your lenses clean quick and simple:

Wash your hands - Use soap and water, then dry them with a lint-free towel.
Remove one lens - Gently remove one contact lens from your eye.
Place the lens in your palm - Cup your palm slightly to form a tiny bowl.
Apply the solution - Pour a quite generous amount of multipurpose solution onto the lens so that the lens is completely submerged.
Clean the lens - Gently rub the lens with your index finger in a circular motion for approximately twenty seconds. 
Rinse the lens -  After cleaning, you should rinse the lens with more multipurpose solution.
Store the lens - Place the lens in a clean contact lens case and fully submerge it with fresh multipurpose solution.
Repeat the process - Repeat the cleaning process described above but now for the other lens.
Replace the solution daily - Get rid of the used solution in the case and refill it with fresh solution each and every single time you clean your lenses. 

7. How To Tell If Your Contact Lens Is Inside Out

An inside-out contact lens can usually feel uncomfortable and cause excessive blinking, it can also cause:

•  Blurry vision
•  Eye pain
•  Red eyes
•  Itchy eyes 

If, on insertion, you think your lens may be inside out, remove the lens. You can use one or both of these simple methods to check for an inside out lens:

1. Look at the shape of the contact lens, it should have smooth edges like a well-turned bowl, it should not look as though the edges splay out
2. Squeeze the lens between your thumb and finger, and the edges of the contact should roll inwards like a taco shell.

For more in-depth info on this topic check out our guide here.

8. Wearing Make-up And Contact Lenses

You may ask yourself if you can wear makeup with contact lenses, absolutely! There is nothing to stop you from wearing as much or as little makeup as you want with your contact lenses. Here are a couple of tips to make sure your makeup doesn't irritate your contact lenses:

• Apply your lenses before your makeup - This minimises the risk of makeup particles getting onto your lenses and irritating your eyes, plus you'll be able to see more clearly.
• Keep your tools clean -  Bacteria can easily accumulate on makeup brushes, sponges, etc, which can lead to contracting eye infections. For this reason, never share eye makeup products and tools.
• Be careful with eyeliner - Avoid applying eyeliner to the water line (between your lashes and your eye) as it can block your oil glands and "bleed" into your eyes, causing irritation
• Remove your contact lenses before removing your makeup - This prevents makeup particles from getting trapped under your lens and reduces the chance of irritating your eyes
• Use makeup remover only after removing your lenses - The chemicals can irritate the eyes, and you don't want to be rubbing your eyelids with your lenses in.
• Don't sleep in your makeup - Sleeping in your makeup can cause particles to get into your eyes, leading to irritation, redness and possible infection
• Be extra careful when applying and removing your fake lashes - False eyelashes can elevate your risk of eye irritation and allergic reactions, especially from the glue.

9. Always Follow Your Optometrist's Advice

When you are fitted with contact lenses, you will receive plenty of information on wearing schedules, insertion, removal, cleaning routines (if you are wearing 2 weekly or monthly disposable lenses), and follow-up schedules. You will also receive guidelines on best hygiene practices, it can be a lot to take in.

If you forget something, simply speak to your optometrist, or you can check out our Eye Help pages, which are available to everyone, however, if you order lenses from us, you will have access to our contact lens aftercare pages and access to our optometrist.

10. Problems To Look Out For And When To Call Your Optometrist or Doctor

Most contact lens wearers have no problems with their lenses and wear them trouble-free, however, we think it's good to be aware of a few problems and how to avoid them and when to seek help.

• Redness
• Pain
• Discomfort 
• Vision changes 
• Light sensitivity 
• Excessive tearing 
• Unusual eye discharge 

It's best not to wear your contact lenses when you are ill, even if it's just a cold. When you are sick germs can spread from your hands to your eyes quite easily when you're putting in or removing the lenses.

Remember to blink regularly, as blinking helps keep your eyes clean and moist.

Throw away contact in solution a month after you've opened it, even if there's some solution left. Never reuse contact lens solution.

Never sleep in your contact lenses.

Never swim with contact lenses in unless you are wearing goggles. 

It is hard to cover every aspect of contact lens wear in one article, but here we have provided the basics to help you make a choice as to whether contact lenses are for you and what to be aware of in the first few months. 

All of this may seem daunting, but once you begin wearing contact lenses all of it becomes second nature, and don't forget if you have any worries or concerns speak to your optometrist, or you can check out our Eye Help pages, which are available to everyone, however, if you order lenses from us, you will have access to our contact lens aftercare pages, and access to our optometrist.