Learning sleeps and snores in libraries, but wisdom is everywhere, wide awake, on tiptoe.
--Josh Billings
Chloe's photo
So, You Want to Wear Contacts
by Chloe
Contacts are a good choice for those who play sports or for kids who are busy and don’t have time to mess with glasses. Contacts come in monthly subscriptions or yearly ones. I begged and begged and finally persuaded my parents to let me have contact lenses. Then when I finally got them, I wished I had never asked.
They can be very frustrating to put in, especially when you are a teen and are stressed out enough already. But, don't give up; they can be very useful when you are playing sports and are almost blind trying to see the ball without your glasses.
First, if you cannot get them in at your “lesson” with the eye doctor, then enlist the help of a friend or relative that has contacts. They can give you helpful pointers they use to get their contacts in. Second, if you start to get frustrated at any time, just give it a break for a while. Your eyes eventually get tired and it can be hard or even hurt if you do get them in.
Sure, it may be easy for them, but it took me a whole month.
If you are having trouble getting them in and are asking around how long it took other people and they say "3 days" or "Oh, It was really easy" do not listen. Sure, it may be easy for them, but it took me a whole month. I was incredibly frustrated and about to give up -- plus I had firends telling me, "It's easy. I didn't have any trouble at all." That just about put me over the edge. So, let me say it one more time, it can be very difficult and it can take longer than just a few days to figure them out. Just don’t give up; it might take you a month, like it did for me, but you will conquer this if you keep trying.
It helped that my mom told me that she tried to wear contacts once in college and just could not get them in and out of her eyes. She was so frustrated that she would cry and be nauseous by the time she gave up. At least I knew that it wasn't easy for everyone, no matter what my friends said. I mean think about it..it's not normal to shove something into your eyeball. Of course your eye, your brain and your hands are going to fight back and try to protect you.
Here is the easiest way to get them in, at least I think. (For right-handers).
- Wash your hands. Do not dry them unless you have a lint free towel. The lint will get on your hands, causing it to get on your contact. Just shake your hands to get the excess water off.
- Pour one of the contact pods into the palm of your right hand (Always start with the right eye.) If rolled up, gently unroll with the pad of your finger; careful, do not use your nail.
- Use your left hand’s thumb and pointer finger to pinch an edge and place it on the tip of your index finger, right on the pad.
- Make sure your contact is not inside out. Inside out looks like a bowl with ridges sticking out. The right way, it just looks like a perfect bowl.
- With your right hand (contact hand), use your middle finger to pull down the lower part of your eye. Make sure you get a good grip on the edge of your lower lid, to keep it from popping up.
- Pull your left hand over your head and using two fingers, but keeping them out of the way, pull up on your eyelid/lashes. Keep it there, no matter how much your eye resists.
- Carefully press the contact onto the eye. Even if you feel even a corner, keep pressing. Make sure you are not hitting the lens of your eye.
- Almost there. Do not blink yet! Make sure there is no huge bubble and slowly let your eye close. When you have it the first time, you will feel the edges of the contact. Do not worry this will go away in a little bit.
Follow the same directions to put in your left contact. I don't switch hands.
Congratulations! You got them in! Or maybe you didn't. Don't despair! Don't Give up. Just put eveything away and try it again later in the day.
Hints:
- Make sure your other eye is not rolling away or that you are closing it, this make it even more difficult.
- Make sure you are not looking at your finger with the contact. Look just off in the distance.
- It makes it easier if you are not leaning over a counter. Try going to a mirror you can stand right up to.
Let me know how this works for you.