Putting in contact lenses feels awkward the first few times, but most people get comfortable with the process within a week or two of daily practice. The key is clean hands, a correctly oriented lens, and a calm, steady approach. Here’s exactly how to do it.
Wash and Dry Your Hands First
Start by washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Almost any soap works as long as you rinse it off completely. Some sources recommend avoiding soaps with moisturizers because they can leave a film on your fingers, but thorough rinsing takes care of most residue. Dry your hands with a lint-free towel or a fresh paper towel. Tiny fibers from cloth towels can stick to wet fingers and transfer onto the lens, which causes irritation once the lens is on your eye.
Check That the Lens Isn’t Inside Out
Place the lens on the tip of your index finger and hold it up at eye level. A correctly oriented lens looks like a smooth, round bowl with edges that curve straight up. If the edges flare outward, like a saucer or soup plate, the lens is inside out. Flip it and check again.
If you’re not sure, try the taco test: place the lens in your palm and gently fold the edges together. A correctly oriented lens will fold neatly, with the edges curving inward like a closed taco. An inside-out lens will resist folding cleanly, and the edges will bend outward instead. Wearing an inside-out lens won’t damage your eye, but it feels uncomfortable and tends to slide around or blur your vision.
While you’re inspecting, look for any tears, chips, or debris on the lens surface. A damaged lens can scratch your cornea, so toss it and use a fresh one if anything looks off.
Place the Lens on Your Eye
Stand in front of a well-lit mirror. Place the lens on the tip of your index or middle finger on your dominant hand (the hand you write with). Make sure the lens is sitting in a nice bowl shape on your dry fingertip.
Use your other hand to hold your upper eyelid open by pressing gently near the lash line. Then use your remaining free finger on your dominant hand, typically your middle or ring finger, to pull your lower eyelid down. This gives you a wide opening and keeps your blink reflex from fighting you.
An alternative that works well for beginners: use the thumb and fingers of your non-dominant hand to hold both your upper and lower eyelids wide open. This frees your dominant hand to focus entirely on placing the lens.
Look straight ahead into the mirror, or slightly upward, and bring the lens toward your eye slowly and steadily. Place it directly on the colored part of your eye (the iris). Once the lens makes contact, it will naturally settle into position. Release your lower eyelid first, then your upper eyelid. Blink gently a few times to center the lens. If your vision is clear and the lens feels comfortable, you’re set. Repeat with the other eye.
Tips for Overcoming the Blink Reflex
Your eyes are designed to close when something approaches them, so fighting the urge to blink is the hardest part for most new wearers. Holding your eyelids open with both hands, as described above, physically prevents the blink from happening. Looking slightly upward while you place the lens on the lower part of your eye can also help, because you’re not watching the finger approach head-on.
If you’re still struggling, try placing the lens on the white part of your eye instead of directly on the iris. Once it’s on your eye, close your eyelid and look around slowly. The lens will slide into the correct position on its own. Speed comes with practice. Most people go from a five-minute ordeal to a 30-second routine within a couple of weeks.
Put Lenses In Before Makeup
If you wear eye makeup, always insert your lenses before applying anything around your eyes. This minimizes the chance of getting cosmetic residue, pigment, or oils on the lens surface. At the end of the day, reverse the order: remove your lenses first, then take off your makeup with an oil-free remover. This keeps makeup particles from getting trapped between the lens and your eye during removal.
How to Remove Your Lenses
Wash and dry your hands the same way you did for insertion. Look up or straight ahead in a mirror, and pull your lower eyelid down with one finger.
The most common technique is the pinch method. Place the pads of your index finger and thumb together first, then touch the lower edge of the lens and gently roll your fingertips together to pinch and lift it off. Approach the lens slowly rather than making a big sweeping grab. Use the soft pads of your fingertips, never your nails.
If pinching directly off the colored part of your eye makes you nervous, try the slide method instead. Use one finger to slide the lens down onto the white part of your eye first, then pinch it from there. Many beginners find this less intimidating.
Keep your nails trimmed short, especially on your thumb and index finger. Short, smooth nails reduce the risk of scratching your cornea or tearing the lens. If the lens feels stuck or dry, apply a few contact lens rewetting drops before attempting removal. These loosen the lens and make it slide more easily.
Never Use Water on Your Lenses
Tap water, bottled water, lake water, and well water all pose a serious infection risk. Water can cause soft lenses to swell, change shape, and stick to the cornea. That alone is uncomfortable, but the bigger danger is contamination. Water carries a range of germs, including an amoeba called Acanthamoeba that is commonly found in tap water. An Acanthamoeba infection in the eye is extremely painful, often requires a year or more of treatment, and in rare cases leads to corneal transplant or permanent vision loss.
Only use sterile contact lens solution to rinse, clean, and store your lenses. Remove your lenses before swimming, showering, or using a hot tub. If your eyes feel dry during the day, use rewetting drops specifically designed for contact lenses. Regular contact lens solution is formulated to disinfect and store lenses, not to moisturize your eyes. Putting multipurpose solution directly in your eye can cause irritation because it contains cleaning agents that aren’t meant for the eye’s surface.
Building a Consistent Routine
Develop a habit of always starting with the same eye. This prevents mix-ups if your two lenses have different prescriptions. Open the lens case, insert the right lens, then the left (or whichever order you prefer), and stick with it every time.
Replace your lens case every one to three months, since bacteria build up in the plastic over time even with regular cleaning. After inserting your lenses each morning, dump out the old solution in the case, rinse the case with fresh solution (not water), and leave it open to air-dry face down on a clean surface. This simple step significantly reduces your risk of eye infections over time.