Adapting to contact lenses involves both your eyes and your brain adjusting to the presence of a new optical device. The initial sensation of having a thin film on the surface of your eye is generally temporary as your body learns to tolerate the lens. Successfully transitioning to contact lens wear requires mastering the physical handling of the lenses, adhering to a specific wearing schedule, and knowing how to troubleshoot common comfort issues. Following a structured approach will ensure a smoother transition to clear, glasses-free vision.
Mastering Handling and Insertion Technique
Achieving comfortable contact lens wear begins with developing a flawless technique for handling and inserting the lenses. Before touching your lenses or your eyes, you must wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, ensuring you rinse completely and dry them with a lint-free towel. Wet hands can cause the lens to stick to your finger rather than transferring smoothly to the eye’s moist surface.
Once your hands are clean and dry, remove a lens and place it on the tip of your index finger, ensuring the edges are facing upward like a small, perfect bowl. A common check, often called the “taco test,” involves gently pinching the lens between your thumb and forefinger to confirm its orientation. If the lens edges curl inward to form a crisp taco shape, it is correctly positioned, but if the edges bend outward like a soup bowl, the lens is inside out and must be flipped.
For insertion, use the middle finger of the hand holding the lens to pull down your lower eyelid, while your other hand pulls up your upper eyelid to prevent blinking. This action separates the eyelids from the lens, allowing you to gently place the lens directly onto the center of your eye’s surface. After the lens is in place, slowly release your eyelids and blink softly a few times to settle the lens into its correct position. The removal technique is similarly delicate, typically involving using your thumb and index finger to gently pinch the lens off the eye’s surface.
The Gradual Wearing Schedule
Allowing the cornea, the clear front surface of the eye, to adjust to the physical presence of the lens requires a slow, incremental increase in wear time. Eye care professionals typically recommend starting with a short duration, such as four to six hours on the first day. This initial period gives the eye a chance to acclimate to the lens material and the slight disruption of the natural tear film.
You should then increase the wear time gradually, usually by about one to two hours each subsequent day. This measured pace helps prevent the over-wear symptoms of irritation and dryness that often derail new wearers. Rushing the schedule can cause eye strain or discomfort, which is a sign that the cornea is not receiving sufficient oxygen or that the lens is interfering with the ocular surface.
This systematic approach is designed to minimize the risk of complications while conditioning your eye to accept the lens as part of its normal environment. If your eyes feel dry or tired at any point, it is appropriate to remove the lenses early for the day and revert to wearing glasses. Consistent adherence to this incremental plan is a far more effective strategy than attempting to wear the lenses for an entire day right away.
Addressing Common Comfort Issues
The most frequent challenge for new wearers is the foreign body sensation, which is the immediate feeling that something is in the eye. This is a normal sensory response because the cornea is one of the most nerve-dense tissues in the body, making it highly sensitive to touch. This initial scratchy or gritty feeling should diminish significantly within the first few days as the eye’s sensory nerves adapt to the lens.
If the scratchiness persists or is accompanied by pain, redness, or excessive watering, you should immediately remove the lens and check for debris or a tear in the lens material. Persistent, sharp pain after lens removal warrants a consultation with an eye care professional, as this can signal a corneal abrasion or other complication.
Dryness is another common experience, often resulting from the contact lens absorbing some of the tear film, especially during extended periods of focused work like computer use. To manage this, use preservative-free rewetting drops that are specifically formulated for use with contact lenses, rather than general saline solutions. Consciously blinking fully and frequently, along with following the “20-20-20 rule” during screen time, can help refresh the tear film over the lens surface.
Temporary vision fluctuations, such as mild blurriness or halos around lights, can occur as the eye and brain work to adjust to the new prescription. This period of adaptation is normal and typically resolves within the first week or two of consistent wear. However, if blurriness continues beyond this initial adjustment phase or if you notice rainbow-colored halos, contact your eye doctor to rule out issues like an incorrect lens fit or corneal edema.