Applying and removing contact lenses

How do I apply my contact lenses?

-First of all, wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial disinfectant soap, then rinse with clean water. Finally, dry your hands with a clean, dry towel.

-Before applying the lens to your eye, you need to make sure it's right side up, because lenses have a very specific meaning. In fact, if you hold the lens on your fingertip and it flares out slightly, this means it's upside down; it must have a smooth edge to be right-side up, as shown in the diagram below.

-Once you've made sure the lens is the right way round, you can gently pull your upper eyelid upwards, holding it as far as possible towards the base with the hand not holding the lens. With your other hand (the one holding the lens), you gently pull your lower eyelid downwards, also holding it as far as possible towards the base of the eyelid.

-It's very important to remain calm during this operation, so as not to risk dropping the lens. You will now gently bring the lens up to your eye, and if it helps, you can also look upwards.

-The first few times you put your lenses in, you may feel as if your eye closes by itself as you approach your finger. Don't worry, it's a natural reflex and you'll find it much easier to control it in the future, so it's important to be persistent when fitting your lenses.

-Once you've placed the lens on your eye, don't blink immediately. Look in several directions in succession to ensure that the lens is correctly positioned in front of your cornea.

-You can now apply the same steps to your other eye.

How do I remove my lenses?

-As with contact lens application, wash your hands and dry them with a clean, dry towel.

-First, gently pull down the lower eyelid with the hand you'll be using to remove the lens. With your other hand, take hold of your upper eyelid and pull it upwards.

-Once you've done this, use your thumb and forefinger (of the hand holding the lower part of your eyelid) as tweezers to catch the lens on your eye. Although the gesture may seem impressive, you need have no fear. Simply apply gentle pressure between your two fingers, then remove the lens.

-You can now do the same with your other eye.

-If you wear daily lenses, you can dispose of them straight away. However, if you wear frequently-replaced lenses, you'll need to clean them with multifunctional solution before putting them in your solution-filled blister pack.

-It's also very important never to replace multifunctional solution with water. Water contains many bacteria that can be harmful to your eyes.