SOFT LENS for a novice

Last week i bought a pair of soft lenses, I am a novice myself at soft lensing actually since it was my first soft lens wearing experience. I chose the brown one, it was quite similar with my natural color. I find a little difficulties first time i worn it, and of course a little adjustment and treatment are needed here..

Soft lenses are extremely thin to provide maximum comfort; however, this factor makes the lenses more fragile than thicker lenses. Do not hold the lens by its edges and do not put too much pressure on the lens. Flexing the lens between the fingers can cause permanent warpage or break the lens. If you feel upset by the inability to wear or remove the lens, stop trying to and return to it when calmer.

Contact lens wearer's guide

• Always wash your hands thoroughly with a mild soap, rinse completely, and dry with a lint-free towel before touching your lenses.
• Avoid the use of soaps containing cold cream, lotion, or oily cosmetics before handling your lenses, since these substances may come into contact with the lenses and interfere with successful wearing.
• Handle your lenses with your fingertips, and be careful to avoid contact with fingernails. It is helpful to keep your fingernails short and smooth.
• Place the lens on the tip of your forefinger. BE SURE THE LENS IS CORRECTLY ORIENTED.
• Place the middle finger of the same hand close to your lower eyelashes and pull down the lower lid.
• Use the forefinger or middle finger of the other hand to lift the upper lid.
• Place the lens on the eye.
• Gently release the lids and blink. The lens will center automatically.
• Use the same technique when inserting the lens for your left eye.

It is important that you clean your lenses immediately upon removal rather than just prior to inserting the lens. After removing the lens, use a daily cleaner on the surface of the lens. Rub the lens in the palm of your hand and rinse thoroughly with saline. The lens should then be stored in soaking solution and left overnight. To insert, simply rinse the solution off with fresh saline and apply wetting solution prior to insertion.

First day i worn soft lens, i wear it less than 4 hours as there are rules and regulations to make a good adjustment to it.

Here are the wear time hours guidance:

Day	Wear Time (Hours)
1	4
2	6
3	8
4	10
5	12
6	12
7	12

(Maximum wearing time will be determined at your follow-up appointment). When you haven't worn your lenses for a few days, cut your wearing time in half for the first day and increase wearing time two hours per day after that. When you haven't worn your lenses one week or longer, start wearing time over. Remember to clean and disinfect your lenses if they are stored more than 48 hours. DO NOT RUSH YOUR WEARING TIME

Wearing contact lenses is a reasonable reason of attaining for a good vision instead of glasses or even just for fashion. However it is not without risk, the following conditions are possible Complications of contact lenses:

1. Contact Lens Overwear. This occurs when the contact is worn longer than the cornea can tolerate. Not enough oxygen gets to the cornea resulting in temporary discomfort and blurred vision. The treatment is to discontinue wearing the contact lenses for a few days.

2. Corneal Abrasion. This is a "scratch" on the surface of the cornea resulting from a poorly-fitting contact lens, foreign material under the contact lens or overwear. The treatments include antibiotics and possible patching of the eye. Infection may result from this condition

3. Allergic Reaction. In this condition the eye becomes red and irritated in response to the cleaning and/or storage solutions. It is most often seen with soft contact lenses and is usually a reaction to the preservatives in these solutions. Treatment includes changing to different solutions and storage methods as directed by your doctor.

DO's and DO NOT's

• DO keep soft lenses moist to prevent tearing.
• DO add a rewetting drop before removing contact lenses.
• DO wet lenses with saline before picking them up from a dry surface or cleaning them to prevent tearing or warpage.
• DO buy a case with ridges in the bowl and the lid to prevent suction of the lens to the case.
• DO apply cosmetics sparingly.
• DO purchase hypoallergenic, nonflake cosmetics. Some cosmetics are made specially for use with contact lenses.
• DO discard eye makeup three months after opening. The exception is pencil eyeliner that is sharpened to a fresh supply.
• DO insert lenses BEFORE applying cosmetics.
• DO remove lenses BEFORE removing cosmetics.
• DO remove cosmetics daily with an oil free, hypoallergenic remover.
• DO follow your eye doctor's instructions for lens care and use only the solutions recommended by your eye doctor.
• DO keep your contact lens case clean. Scrub lens case weekly with toothbrush and daily cleaner.
• DO carry a case with you with fresh solution in it at all times.
• DO remove your lenses and consult your eye doctor, if you experience redness, itching, irritation or pain.

• DO NOT touch the tip of your bottles with your fingertips or touch your eye with the bottle tip when instilling lubricating drops.
• DO NOT hold a rigid gas permeable lens by the edges. Hold it front to back.
• DO NOT slide a rigid gas permeable lens across a flat surface.
• DO NOT use hair spray when your lenses are in. Spray your hair BEFORE inserting your lenses.
• DO NOT use saliva to wet your lenses. Your mouth is full of bacteria.
• DO NOT sleep in your lenses unless instructed by your eye doctor.
• DO NOT use cosmetics or contact lenses if your eyes are irritated or red.
• DO NOT share cosmetics.
• DO NOT reuse a mascara or eyeliner wand in refills.
• DO NOT apply eyeliner to the inner margin of your eyelid.
• DO NOT use waterproof mascara. It is very difficult to clean off lenses.
• DO NOT use lash-builder mascara. It contains nylon and/or rayon fibers which can be irritating if they drop into the eye.
• DO NOT use frosted eye shadow unless it has been specially formulated for use with contact lenses.
• DO NOT apply cosmetics or lenses in a moving vehicle

Good luck with your lens..

Source and References
http://www.answers.com/topic/contact-lens?cat=health
http://www.alanoptics.per.sg/cl-prob.htm#Corneal%20abrasion
www.clecontactlenses.com/guide.html
http://www.wcyh.org.uk/beauty/eyes/cleaning-contact-lenses/