Contact Lenses: Key Tips for First-Time Users

Are you excited about trying contact lenses for the first time? After receiving your optometrist’s approval, you might have numerous questions about what to expect during your fitting appointment.

Essential Advice: Start with daily disposable lenses. These lenses eliminate the need for a complex cleaning routine, which can be overwhelming for beginners. Always ensure your hands are clean before handling your contact lenses, and never rinse them with tap water. Schedule a fitting with your optometrist to ensure the right lens fits your prescription and eye health.

Your optometrist has determined that you are a suitable candidate for contact lenses, and it’s completely natural to feel a blend of excitement and anxiety about touching your eyes. Many new wearers experience these feelings.

We often assist first-time contact lens users. This guide provides vital information to consider before your fitting appointment, how to evaluate the differences between daily and monthly lenses, and the key routines to maintain your eye health and comfort.

Making an Informed Choice: Daily vs. Monthly Contact Lenses

Helpful Hint: Opt for daily lenses if you’re new to contact lenses, wear them occasionally, suffer from allergies, or travel often; they provide a fresh lens every day with no cleaning needed. Monthly lenses are more suited for regular users who are comfortable with a nightly cleaning routine and can offer a lower daily cost when maintained properly.

Choosing between these two options is often easier than it seems. Understanding the pros and cons can significantly enhance your experience.

Discovering the Benefits of Daily Disposable Lenses

With daily disposable lenses, you start each day with a fresh pair and discard them at night. This means no cleaning, no storage cases, and no solutions, relieving you from the stress of remembering when you last wore your pair.

Who can benefit from daily disposables:

• New users seeking a straightforward experience
• Individuals who wear lenses occasionally, such as for sports or special events
• People with allergies, as daily fresh lenses help reduce the buildup of pollen and other irritants
• Frequent travellers who prioritise convenience
• Anyone wishing to avoid a nightly cleaning routine

The downside: While daily disposables may initially seem more expensive, when you consider the costs of cleaning solutions, cases, and the risk of eye infections from inadequate hygiene, the price difference may be less substantial than you anticipate.

Understanding Monthly Contact Lenses and Their Benefits

Monthly lenses can last up to 30 days. You must remove, clean, and store them in fresh solution each night to maintain their comfort and quality.

Who are monthly lenses ideal for:

• Regular users looking for the most cost-effective long-term solution
• Individuals who are comfortable following a nightly cleaning routine
• Those with prescriptions not available in daily disposable formats, including some complex or unique prescriptions

The downside: Regular nightly cleaning is crucial. Neglecting this can lead to serious eye infections.

Essential Information About Fortnightly Lenses

Some brands offer lenses with a replacement cycle every two weeks. They share the same cleaning requirements as monthly lenses but need to be replaced more frequently.

Our common advice for new wearers: Start with daily disposables. They eliminate the cleaning hassle, which many new users find daunting. Once you’re comfortable inserting and removing lenses and can identify discomfort, consider transitioning to monthly lenses if cost becomes a significant concern.

Perfecting Contact Lens Insertion for Beginners

Helpful Hint: Always wash your hands, verify the lens is correctly oriented, hold your eyelids open, look slightly upward, place the lens on the white of your eye just below the iris, and then release and blink. Most people become comfortable with this process within a week, and your optometrist will assist you during your fitting.

Initially, inserting a lens may feel strange. Your body instinctively protects your eyes, which may cause you to blink or flinch when something approaches. With practice, this reflex will decrease, and most individuals adapt within a week.

1. Thoroughly wash your hands. Use soap and water, then dry with a lint-free towel. Any residue on your hands can transfer to the lens and then to your eye.
2. Check the lens orientation. Place it on the tip of your index finger. It should appear as a smooth bowl with clean edges. If the edges flare outwards, it’s inside out. Just flip it.
3. Hold your eyelids apart. Use the middle finger of the hand holding the lens to pull down the lower lid while using the other hand to lift the upper lid. This clears the way for the lens.
4. Look slightly upward. Position the lens on the white part of your eye, just below the iris.
5. Release and blink. Gently let go of your eyelids and blink several times to allow the lens to settle into position.
6. Repeat for your other eye.

Your optometrist will guide you through this entire process during your fitting. We ensure you are confident in inserting and removing your lenses before you leave, which is the primary goal of the fitting session.

Effective Techniques for Removing Contact Lenses

1. Wash your hands thoroughly.
2. Look upward.
3. Slide the lens down onto the white part of your eye using your index finger.
4. Gently pinch the lens between your thumb and index finger to lift it out.

For daily lenses, dispose of them properly. For monthly lenses, store them in a clean case filled with fresh solution.

If you find removal challenging during the first week or two, consider using a soft contact lens handler or tweezers. These tools can simplify the process while you develop the necessary muscle memory. Most users no longer require these tools after a month, but it’s perfectly fine to use them if they help.

Essential Cleaning and Care Tips for Monthly Contact Lenses

Helpful Hint: Clean each lens with multipurpose solution for approximately 20 seconds, rinse, and store it in fresh solution (never top up old solution). Replace your lens case every one to three months. Avoid tap water as it is the leading cause of serious contact lens infections.

If you’re using daily disposables, you can skip this section since cleaning is unnecessary.

For monthly or fortnightly lenses:

• After removing each lens, place it in your palm.
• Add a few drops of multipurpose solution.
• Gently rub the lens with your fingertip for about 20 seconds. Even if the solution indicates “no rub,” rubbing helps remove more deposits.
• Rinse with fresh solution.
• Store it in a clean case filled with fresh solution (never top up old solution; always replace it entirely).
• Regularly replace your lens case, every one to three months.

Never use tap water on contact lenses. Tap water may contain microorganisms that can cause severe eye infections, including Acanthamoeba keratitis, a painful and potentially sight-threatening condition. This also means you should avoid swimming or showering with your lenses unless you wear sealed goggles. Do not rinse your lens case with tap water.

This precaution is not overly cautious. We see numerous cases of contact lens-related infections each year, primarily due to patients taking shortcuts with water. Adhering to this guideline will help you avoid similar problems.

Frequently Prescribed Contact Lenses

Every prescription and eye condition is unique. Your optometrist will recommend the best-suited lens tailored to your specific needs during your fitting. Here are some of the lenses we often fit and stock, along with their ideal uses.

Top Daily Disposable Lens Options

• Dailies Total 1: Utilises water gradient technology, resulting in a lens surface that is nearly entirely water. This is a popular choice for patients experiencing mild dry eye.
• Acuvue Oasys 1 Day: Offers excellent oxygen transmission and built-in UV protection, making it a preferred option for those spending time outdoors or in brightly lit environments.
• Precision 1: Incorporates Alcon’s SmartSurface technology to create a thin moisture layer across the lens, ensuring all-day comfort.
• Miru 1Day Flatpack: Features the world’s thinnest contact lens packaging. The lens sits on a flat pack, ensuring it’s oriented correctly when picked up, eliminating guesswork for new wearers.

Popular Monthly Contact Lens Selections

• Biofinity: A well-regarded monthly lens with high oxygen permeability, available in a broad prescription range, including complex prescriptions.
• Air Optix Plus HydraGlyde: Utilises SmartShield surface technology to resist protein and lipid deposits that cause discomfort as the month progresses. Ideal if your current monthly lenses become uncomfortable as they age.

Strategies for Managing Dry Eyes or Sensitivity

Wearing contact lenses can contribute to dry eye, and experiencing dry eye can make contact lens wear uncomfortable. If you already have dry eye symptoms, your fitting discussion should address which type of lens will suit you best and whether to combine them with any supportive treatments.

Feel free to discuss any concerns with us during your fitting. Contact lens wear and dry eye can coexist, but the approach must be tailored to your specific condition.

When Should You Reach Out to Your Optometrist?

Helpful Hint: If you experience pain, persistent redness, sudden blurriness, discharge, a lingering sensation of “something in my eye” after removal, or newfound light sensitivity — contact us immediately. Don’t wait for symptoms to subside. Prompt care can prevent serious complications.

Some issues can wait until your next appointment, while others cannot. Reach out to us (or any optometrist) if you notice:

• Pain that persists after removing the lens; pain indicates something is wrong.
• Redness that lasts for more than a few hours.
• Sudden blurred vision while wearing lenses.
• Discharge or excessive tearing.
• A sensation of something being stuck in your eye after removal.
• New light sensitivity that wasn’t present before.

Any of these symptoms could signal an infection, lens damage, or a corneal issue. Don’t hesitate to seek help, and avoid assuming the problem will resolve on its own. Early intervention can prevent genuinely serious complications.

Addressing Common Questions About Contact Lenses

How long does it usually take to adjust to wearing contact lenses?

Most new wearers become comfortable with inserting and removing their lenses within a week. Physical comfort, meaning not feeling the lens in your eye, usually settles within the first two to three days. If you continue to struggle with insertion after two weeks, schedule a follow-up appointment. Sometimes, a different lens material or a handling tool can significantly enhance your experience.

Is it safe to sleep while wearing contact lenses?

No, unless they are specifically prescribed for overnight use. Regular daily and monthly lenses are designed for daytime wear only. Sleeping in standard lenses restricts oxygen flow to your cornea and greatly increases the risk of infection. If you need to wear lenses overnight, consult your optometrist about specially designed extended wear lenses.

What should I do if a contact lens feels stuck in my eye?

It’s impossible for a lens to slip behind your eye. It usually moves to the side or folds up. Wash your hands, apply a few drops of preservative-free lubricant, and gently massage your closed eyelid until the lens shifts back to the centre for removal. If it doesn’t come out after 10 to 15 minutes, stop trying and contact your optometrist.

Can I wear contact lenses if I have dry eyes?

Often, yes, but the choice of lens is more crucial for individuals with dry eyes compared to those without. Daily disposables with high water content tend to be more comfortable for dry eye patients than older monthly materials. Implementing a dry eye management routine (heat therapy, lid hygiene, supplements) can enhance comfort while wearing lenses. Your optometrist will select the appropriate lens based on your tear film during your fitting.

What are the typical costs of contact lenses in Australia?

Prices vary based on the brand, lens technology, and whether you’re purchasing 30 or 90 packs. Daily disposables fall into one price range, while monthlies belong to another, and specialty lenses (such as toric for astigmatism or multifocal for presbyopia) tend to be more expensive due to their complex optics. Current pricing for each type is available on its product page. We also offer discounted rates for ongoing subscriptions, so be sure to ask us during your fitting.

Do I need to see an optometrist to purchase contact lenses?

Yes. In Australia, contact lenses are classified as medical devices and require a valid prescription from a registered optometrist or ophthalmologist. Even if you have been wearing lenses for years, your prescription must be current. We assess the fit, corneal health, and prescription accuracy during each review.

When This Guide May Not Be Applicable to You

• If you are under 16 years old — fitting contact lenses for children requires a separate discussion with parents or guardians. Please schedule a consult.
• If you haven’t had a recent eye exam — obtain your prescription and corneal health check first. Lenses should come after, not before.
• If you wish to wear cosmetic lenses without a prescription. Avoid purchasing unregulated lenses online — this is illegal in Australia and can lead to serious corneal injury.

Ready to Start Your Contact Lens Journey?

Book your contact lens fitting at our Central Coast practice, and we will assist you in finding the ideal lens tailored to your eyes, prescription, and lifestyle. You will leave your fitting feeling confident in your ability to insert, remove, and care for your lenses.

Explore Contact Lenses at Eyes By Design · Schedule Your Contact Lens Fitting Today