14 Biggest Blunders to avoid while With Your Contact Lenses

Whether you realize it or not, you probably have a checklist when it comes to extremely cold weather. As you leave your home, you make sure you put on a coat, scarf, hat, gloves or mittens, and sometimes a pair of snow boots. However, if you wear contacts, you need to add a few items to that list.

According to ICON Eyecare in Colorado, cold, dry air can be rough on your eyes — leaving them dry and more susceptible to infections. They recommend that if you wear contacts and plan to do a mountain-related activity like skiing, you should wear goggles to keep your eyes safe. And no, that doesn’t mean only putting the goggles over your eyes while you’re whooshing down the mountain. Also, make sure to stay hydrated and carry appropriate eye drops.

Another eye care facility in Colorado, Smart EyeCare, also recommends taking special care of your contact lenses if you’re going out in the cold and especially if you’re going to be at a high altitude. In particular, they advise having more than one pair of lenses available and changing them out as needed. They also suggest cleaning your lenses more often. But one caution: Winter temperatures can freeze eye drops in their bottle, so you might need to take extra precautions to make sure they stay fluid (via ICON Eyecare).

(11) Cleaning and storing contacts in water

Imagine this: A businessperson is on a trip and while unpacking their suitcase discovers they forgot their contact lens solution. Unfortunately, it’s too late in the evening to run to a local pharmacy or drugstore for more. Out of desperation, they store their contacts in tap water, hoping tomorrow they can buy more solutions.

Sorry to say, but while it’s understandable why the person in the above scenario felt stuck using water on their contacts, that decision complicated their problem. As Sight Eye Clinic, P.C. explains there are potentially harmful microbes in tap water, including bacteria, making it a bad choice to store your contacts even in an emergency. One such microbe is Acanthamoeba, which, as we mentioned earlier, can cause a very painful eye infection, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). But that’s not all. Once an Acanthamoeba infects your eye, your peripheral vision can be compromised for months.

While an eye infection caused by Acanthamoeba is treatable with topical ointments, your eyes may never be the same again even if you receive proper treatment right away (via the EPA). And one more warning about Acanthamoeba: It can also be in your saliva, so never use your spit to clean your lenses.

(12) Not changing cosmetic routine for contacts

Good news: You can safely wear contacts with makeup and other cosmetic products. But that doesn’t mean you can do everything the same way you would if you wore glasses instead. What’s more, what kind of lenses you use can make a difference in your regular cosmetic routine.

Before we go any further, let’s discuss two different types of contacts people commonly wear. First, there are soft contacts, which as their name suggests, are very flexible but can also tear (via FDA). On the other hand, rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses are sturdier than soft lenses but not as comfortable (at least until the contact wearer gets used to them). According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), if you wear soft contact lenses, you should put them in your eyes before putting on makeup. Conversely, the AOA recommends putting in RGPs after you’ve finished your makeup routine. However, whether you use soft lenses or RGPs, you should remove them from your eyes before you take off your makeup.

In addition, if you wear lenses, avoid using certain products like lash-extending mascara because of its fibres and waterproof mascara because it can stain soft contacts (via AOA). If you use a liquid foundation, stick to hypoallergenic, water-based ones to avoid getting film on your contacts. And if you must use hairspray while wearing your contacts, close your eyes and don’t open them right away when you’re done spraying.

(13) Not cleaning and replacing your contact lens case