Contacts

silhouettes
silhouettes Posts: 517 Member
edited September 25 in Chit-Chat
I made a post the other day about getting contacts.. well today I went in for my fitting.

The guy gave me an hour to try and I failed :/ It took nearly all the time and I only managed to get the left one in... and then it came time to take them out and I couldn't even get one of them out.. I feel I was making a little progress on getting them in.. but out was another story!

I had problems holding my top lid open, I just couldn't do it... and I couldn't stare straight on at my finger as it came out my eye. I managed to get the one in by putting it in the bottom and slowly looking up till it slid on.

I am having the time of my life pinching my eye to get the thing out... and slidding it to the white bottom and pinching it out which I thought would be the best way to do it is impossilbe! I think my thumb is to fat or something, lol.

He gave me until Thursday to practice (w/o the actual contacts.. he gave me solution to use so I don't irrate my eyes... I'm supposed to just stick my finger in my eye and try to touch it) and I'm scared I won't be able to get it and waste my money and worse... not get what I want so badly.

Can anyone give me tips.. how can I make this work?

Replies

  • dracobaby82
    dracobaby82 Posts: 380 Member
    when I had contacts, I have glasses now, because I messed up my eyes by not taking them out daily lol

    I open my eyes as wide as I can, and with middle finger pull down the bottom lid and have contact on pointer finger and put it on... to take out kind of the same thing but use my thumb and pointer to get it out... I'm not sure how it's gonna work trying to practice without an actual contact

    good luck!
  • beerbomber
    beerbomber Posts: 184 Member
    Well when I got contacts I was in 7th grade so it has been awhile since I had to put contacts in for the first time but it is like anything just practice you will get to the point where your eye doesn't flinch. Just practice putting them in and out yoru eye will stop blinking after awhile
  • as1789
    as1789 Posts: 46
    To put them in, I kind of place mine at the bottom half of my eye and take my finger away before I move my eye. Then I look straight ahead and move my eye around until it sort of "pops" into place. At no time in the whole process do I look at my finger going into or out of my eye. I couldn't handle that. I don't have any tips for taking them out. I just try to use the edges of my fingers to make sure I don't scratch my eye...
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    First off, men find this much harder than women usually, as women are used to approaching their eyes with mascara wands and the like and have somehwat tamed our blink reflex. So if you're male, expect this to be harder.

    Wash your hands. Dry them with a paper towel (less fuzz than with a cloth towel). Get the contact onto your very dry finger. Put a drop of saline solution into the contact.

    Now pull up the top eyelid and get the contact onto your eye. When it's wet and your finger is dry, it practically jumps onto your eye.

    To get them out, forget that pinching garbage. Never worked for me!

    Just brush the side of your clean, dry finger gently downward against the contact. Like you're rubbing it downward. It will scrunch up and then you can grab it out of your eye.

    Hang in there. It takes a little getting used to!

    ETA: What sort of contact are these? The extended wear type and dailies are so incredibly thin now that they are hard to manipulate, even for experienced contact lense wearers. If you think this might be the issue, then ask for a stiffer lense. It's easier for a newbie to deal with the stiffer lenses, really.

    My new lenses are so thin that they drive me insane. They are more comfortable oince they're in, but good lord, they are harder to get in. Also much harder to tell if they are right side out or inside out!

    Thicker lenses are easier for first timers.
  • silhouettes
    silhouettes Posts: 517 Member
    when I had contacts, I have glasses now, because I messed up my eyes by not taking them out daily lol

    I open my eyes as wide as I can, and with middle finger pull down the bottom lid and have contact on pointer finger and put it on... to take out kind of the same thing but use my thumb and pointer to get it out... I'm not sure how it's gonna work trying to practice without an actual contact

    good luck!

    I know but he wouldn't give me the trial :( I don't know how many chances they will allow me before refusing me anymore.. or if they will start charging me more.. I'm determined to get it right.. or at least more progress Thursday.
  • losermomof3
    losermomof3 Posts: 386 Member
    sorry i dont know anything about contacts...but wanted to tell dracobaby that I love your pic..what a great idea!!!
  • maserati185
    maserati185 Posts: 263 Member
    Self-talk is everything. While practicing touching your eye, know that you CAN do it and eventually, it won't be a big deal. I've been wearing contacts for YEARS! I am a serious reader/geek. :)

    Things I do that help me. - Hold my eyelid out of the way by putting my pointer finger under the eyelashes and pushing the eyelid up and back. - Look down or toward my nose so that I can't actually see where I'm placing the contact, but have a general idea. - Place the contact as loosely as possible on my other pointer finger, so that it can easily "catch" onto the eyeball... without wanting to stick to my finger. :) This was all very funny for me to type... eyeballs and eyelid holding and such but... hope it is helpful! That's the important part! haha.
  • drog2323
    drog2323 Posts: 1,343 Member
    dont' stress. I am a total clutz and it took me a few good days to get the hang of it. I suggest if you try - get up a little earlier before work - it might take you 10 minutes at least to get them in.

    did the guy show you how to open your eye lids with your fingers?

    trust me, it will get easier and soon you will be putting them in really fast. i've been wearing them for a good 10 yrs and takes me about 20 seconds for both eyes.

    don't be hard on yourself - it takes time learning something newl. you'll be a pro in no time!
  • bigpinkshoes
    bigpinkshoes Posts: 5
    It seems so odd to me that they won't let you practice with actual contacts, and that they want you to practice touching your eye. With contacts, you aren't ever actually touching your eye with your finger. You are touching the contact.

    The advice about having your finger very dry is great advice. I usually dry my index finger off on the back of my other hand, so I avoid any lint from a towel. That's just before I pick up the contact. Then, since I am unable to open my eye big enough with one finger, I pull down on my lower lid with the middle finger of my right hand, while pulling my upper lid open with my left hand. I look odd, but that's the only way I can do it. I have to get my eye open wide, because the contact is bigger than I expected it to be.

    Then, since I have the contact balanced on the end of my dry right forefinger, I look AT it as I approach my eye. Then, just before it's at my eye, I shift my gaze to look at myself in the mirror as I finish touching it to my eye. Once it's there, I move my eyes around a little while I still hold the contact on there, so I get a good contact established. Then, I move my finger straight away from my eye, not blinking yet, until I can look at my finger and be sure it's not still there. Once I know it's not still on my finger (lol), then I go ahead and close my eyes and it's done.

    Sounds complicated, but it's not.

    Things I learned when I first started with contacts a few years ago.

    1. To repeat, you won't actually be touching your eyes. You'll touch the contact.
    2. The contact is bigger than you expect it to be, so open your eyes wide.
    3. Dry fingers are very important.

    Contacts are awesome! I was so scared to get them, but the moment I first wore a pair, I fell in love. It was like magically having my eyes healed! It was hard for me to learn at first, and I always had to have plenty of time to get them in before work. Now it only takes a quick moment. You'll get it, just keep at it!
  • Levedi
    Levedi Posts: 290 Member
    You'll get it eventually. The trick for me is to put the contact on my right index finger. Then I hold the top lid open with my left hand and the bottom lid with my ring finger on my right hand. (I know, sounds complicated.) Basically, just open really wide and hold both lids open.

    Focus your eye not on the contact! If you watch the contact coming at you, you'll flinch. Watch the person in the mirror putting the contact in. That way your eye can't focus on the thing about to touch it and you can't psych yourself out.

    Then pop the contact on AND (THIS IS IMPORTANT) don't blink yet. Hold the eye open a couple seconds longer to let it settle. Look up, and side to side to settle the contact in place. Then blink. Voila! contact is in.

    The tip about dry fingers is absolutely right too. I dry my finger, balance the contact on it and, if my eyes feel itchy, put a tiny drop more solution in the cup of the lens. That helps it stick without being uncomfortable.

    As for taking them out, if you can't do the pinch thing (I can't) you can use your to lids to catch the contact and push it out. Do this over the sink - my eye doc said I'm doing it the hard way, but if it works, it works.

    Good luck!
  • silhouettes
    silhouettes Posts: 517 Member
    Thanks guys for your support, I wanted to put an update.

    I got them both in after 2 tries and 1 out after a couple. He let me take them home, had them a few days now and I still take some time removing them (took 20 min last night) but it's easier to learn with them and though I'm still adjusting to them and it takes some time to focus at times, I am getting more and more used to them. The first two days they bugged the crap outta me, but it's getting better now.
  • Mrs_McFadden
    Mrs_McFadden Posts: 1,139
    Wow- just gotta say..this thread has made me not want to ever get contacts ROFL :flowerforyou:

    I've considered it because I'm getting annoyed finding them...no I'm not senile I lose things like hoarders hoard (adhd). Also I hate falling asleep and having them on etc etc..or forgettting them. I'm by no means even remotely blind but I prefer to see crisply LOL. This was eye opening..not pun intended :wink:
  • AngelsKisses75
    AngelsKisses75 Posts: 595 Member
    Thanks guys for your support, I wanted to put an update.

    I got them both in after 2 tries and 1 out after a couple. He let me take them home, had them a few days now and I still take some time removing them (took 20 min last night) but it's easier to learn with them and though I'm still adjusting to them and it takes some time to focus at times, I am getting more and more used to them. The first two days they bugged the crap outta me, but it's getting better now.

    One step at a time and you will get there. You can already see the progress you have made. Keep it up! :bigsmile:
  • silhouettes
    silhouettes Posts: 517 Member
    Thanks! I got them out in 5 minutes this evening... I still can't figure the right one out as much... they are bugging me less and less and I forget they are there.. while I am inside at least.

    I went for my first outside exercise today since having them and it was... painful. Maybe I need some sunglasses because the glare of the sun was blinding.. I might be overexaggerating but I never felt that in glasses! Everything looked hazy like when it's realy shiny outside nad hard to see or when it's a light fog.

    I have noticed this since I got them everytime I walk outside.. it feels bright even if it's not that bright out. It's weird, I'm fine indoors. I'll ask my doctor when I go back if it hasn't stopped by then.. but anyone else have that feeling when they first got them?
  • Ashtarot
    Ashtarot Posts: 52 Member
    One thing that may make taking them out and putting them in is to make sure that the nails on your pointer finger and thumb are short.

    As to things being to sharp outside you may just have to get used to it. Give it a week or so. If it is still to much you may need to get you Doc to take the prescription down a tad.
    I know the first time that I got contacts everything was "more" bright,sharp and clear. I was like oh wow I can see the leaves in the top of that tree. lol
  • silhouettes
    silhouettes Posts: 517 Member
    I cut all my nails when I started practicing.. it's not that.. it's I can't get hold of it when I pinch.. it just sits there not moving.. I find scooting it down and it bunching up is easier.. maybe I just have a thing against pinching to hard lol sure I'll get over it.
  • bigpinkshoes
    bigpinkshoes Posts: 5
    I cut all my nails when I started practicing.. it's not that.. it's I can't get hold of it when I pinch.. it just sits there not moving.. I find scooting it down and it bunching up is easier.. maybe I just have a thing against pinching to hard lol sure I'll get over it.

    When I take them out, I put my finger on the contact in my eye, and then I slide it down to the bottom of my eye. It bunches a little and that's where I pinch it out. Easy peasy. :)
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