How To Remove Contact Lenses

Early History

Removing contact lenses is as important, if not more so, than wearing them. Removing them incorrectly could result in damage to the lens and injury to the eye. So care must be taken while removing contact lenses. Also, the same levels of hygiene should be maintained during removal of contact lenses as are observed while wearing them.

Contact Lenses Removing Method One

• Wipe your hands with a lint-free towel.
• Keep a good mirror handy.
• Have all the other items required near by, such as the contact lens solution, lens case and so on. Make sure that your contact lens case is about half full of solution.
• Make sure that the lens is still in the eye. (It sometimes happens that the lens has fallen out already).
• Lower your head and look towards the mirror.
• Some of the lower white of your eye should get exposed.
• Touch the contact lens with your finger tip and slide it on to the white of the eye.
• Without losing contact with the lens, hold it between the finger and thumb.
• Once you have a firm grip on the lens, just lift it off the surface of the eye.
• Place the removed lens immediately in the case containing fresh saline solution.
• Repeat the entire process for the other eye.
  

Contact Lenses Removing Method Two

• Repeat the same steps as in Method One up till looking in the mirror, but without lowering the head.
• Gently squeeze the lower and upper eyelids towards each other with your thumb and forefinger or pointer finger while pressing lightly on the contact lens.
• The squeezing motion should be as if squeezing toothpaste from a toothpaste tube.
• Hold your free hand in front of your eye with the palm open.
• The lens should pop out and fall into your open palm.
• In both the above methods, it is advisable to perform this task over a table covered with a soft towel in case the lens slips and falls.
• If you are doing it over a sink, then it is advisable to cover the drain hole with a cloth.

Removal of Rigid Gas Permeable (RGP) Contact Lenses:

The above two procedures relate to removal of soft contact lenses. The removal of rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses is similar to the procedure for soft lenses but the only difference comes when you have to touch the eye with your hand. In the case of RGP lenses, the only difference is that the outer corner of the eye is pulled towards the ear. The contact lens simply gets ejected on blinking the eye. The other hand should be kept ready to catch the falling lens.

It is our endeavor through the above explanations to equip wearers of contact lenses with the confidence to enjoy the benefits which accompany wearing these convenient modern visual aids.