14 Biggest Blunders to avoid while With Your Contact Lenses

There’s no denying that colored contact lenses can transform your appearance. If you’ve always wanted piercing green or baby-blue eyes, these cosmetic lenses can make it happen. Even colors like impossibly-vibrant gold are doable with these lenses. But where you purchase your colored contacts is crucial if you want to safeguard your vision.

Dr. Thomas Steinemann, a professor at Case Western Reserve University, told Shape that, “It’s illegal to sell cosmetic contacts without giving an official assessment and fitting by an eye doctor.” This is because eyes come in different shapes, and the wrong size contact lens can damage your cornea, the clear coating over the iris and pupil. This corneal abrasion or erosion can be painful and affect your vision, including making your eyes more sensitive to light (via the University of Michigan Health). Plus, a damaged cornea can make your eye more vulnerable to bacteria. If this occurs, you could develop an infection or even a corneal ulcer.

Although the type of damage ill-fitting contacts can do to your eyes might heal in a few days, some cases of corneal abrasions can take a full week to go away (via the University of Michigan Health). You also might need to wear an eyepatch and use anaesthetic eye drops while your eyes recover. In some cases, corneal erosions can require surgery — especially if the cornea is repeatedly damaged by often wearing colored contacts that don’t fit correctly.

(5) Not cleaning your hands before handling contacts

It’s a no-brainer that handling your contacts with dirty hands can be a recipe for an eye infection. However, U.S. News and World Report notes that plain water — like you would get from a faucet — can contain microorganisms that could cause health issues for your eyes if they get onto your contact lenses. So, for that reason, how you clean and dry your hands before touching your contacts is extremely important.

Optometrist Christine Sindt told U.S. News and World Report the soap you choose to wash your hands with before handling your contact lenses is also important. Specifically, you want to avoid any soap that contains moisturizers because such products can leave a residue on your contacts. In addition, Sindt says you need to thoroughly scrub your hands for the amount of time it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song.

Once you finish washing your hands, dry them completely to avoid possibly contaminating your contacts with water droplets (via U.S. News and World Report). However, be careful about what towel you use to dry your hands. Not only should it be clean, but you should also use a lint-free towel to avoid getting lint on your contacts.

(6) Don’t use old contact lens solution