Contact Lenses - Garland,TX

practice practice practice. lol
I don't remember how long before you get proficient... I started wearing them almost 30 years ago now.

Be careful of some of the "all in one" solutions. Some can be very irritating to your eyes. I tend to use the all in one stuff to clean/store, then plain saline to rinse before inserting them into my eyes. But then, I don't wear them all that much anymore.... only special occasions when I don't want my glasses on for some reason.

And try not to go to the limit on how long you leave them in. Some say 2 weeks (some used to be monthly)... but it is better for your eyes to take them out much more frequently. Your eyes need exposure to air some (told to me by my optometrist) and having your lenses out ONLY when you go to bed does NOT accomplish this. (Your eyes are closed!). :)
Enjoy!

Use the the solution your optometrist recommends. It's more important that you use a multipurpose solution- saline is fine for rinsing, but it won't properly clean them. It's not the best idea to switch solutions all the time because sometimes people are sensitive to the preservatives in them. So if you don't want to use what your OD recommends, then just be consistent.

You don't need a rewetting drop unless your eyes feel dry. And if you find yourself using one all the time, talk to your eye doctor. The acuvue lens you mentioned (I'm assuming it's the oasys) is a decent one if you have some dryness anyway.

Like the poster below said-practice! You'll get good at it very soon. Make sure your finger is really dry and try to put the lens on the very tip of your finger. That should help. And definitely don't wear them longer than 2 weeks (that what the limit is for Acuvue). Overwearing lenses is a good way to get an infection.

Please make sure you have a good pair of glasses. You need them to give your eyes a break or if you should run out of contacts or get an eye infection.

Talk to your optometrist or his assistant. They will be able to actually show you the "proper" way to put them in and take them out. It's kind of hard to explain it to someone with out showing!
I really like the Bio True or the Refresh (I think that's what it's called) solution. Your optometrist should give you a recommendation as far as solution.
The Acuvue for astigmatism contacts are sort of tricky. They are actually weighted to keep them in position. If they fit properly, they shouldn't move around too much in your eye. There are lines on the top of the contact that indicate the proper position for putting them in. Again, don't be afraid to ask the assistant to show you.
If you're having dry eyes, you should talk to your eye doctor. It might be that you need to try a different brand of contacts.

I have been wearing contacts since I was in the 4th grade. I HATE wearing glasses. It doesn't take very long at all to learn how to take them in and out once you get used to them. I wear Accuvue Oasis that last two weeks. If money isn't a issue, I would highly recommend the contacts you switch out everyday. Those are awesome, I just didn't want to pay that much,

Don't put a lot of solution on them right before you put them on your finger, wait and pour a little bit once the contact is sitting on your finger tip.

It takes practice to manipulate them. Mine arent for astigmatism so I'm not sure if you have different rules to follow. You dont want to put them on inside out, so make sure it looks like a little bowl without ridges flaring out, it there's a flare at the rim of the bowl it's inside out. I always drop one more drop of solution into the lens right before I put it on. I have one of those little magnifying mirrors with suction cups stuck to my bathroom mirror so I can see what I'm doing. I always have about a teaspoon of clean in my palm while I manipulate the lens to get it where I can scoop it up with my finger tip, that's the part that takes practice :) Make sure to always put them on first before putting on lotion or makeup of any kind. I love mine and cant tell I have them in until the end of the day when my eyes just finally get tired and a little dry. So I just squirt some more cleaner in my eyes or use a bottle of wetting drops, either or is just fine.
Make sure your inserting finger is dry when you scoop up your lens, that helps it from folding on to your finger tip.

It takes practice, that's for sure. It was probably about 2-3 weeks before I got really good at it. I can't remember the name of the solution I used, but it's the white and green bottle. lol. I had drops for when I really needed it, but usually didn't need them. On windy days, or if I got something in my eye though it was handy to have. Taking them out was always easier for me than putting them in. One thing I found out was that it is easier to put them in off to the side a little bit instead of dead center in your eye... the white isn't as sensitive, so you are less likely to squinch your eye shut. I would always use my right hand, the contact balanced on my pointer finger, use my middle and ring finger to pull down my eyelid a bit, look up&over, and put the little sucker in. To pull it out, I would put my finger on it, look up&over again, and pinch it out gently. To avoid the finger-folding thing, it helps to have your finger really dry. If you find that the contact sticks to your finger more than your eye you can put a drop of your contact solution in the contact so it 'sucks' into your eye more. :)