Dos and don'ts of contact lens wear

Do the following while inserting and wearing contact lenses

• Always wash and rinse your hands thoroughly before handling your lenses or touching your eye. Use a mild non-cosmetic (oil and fragrance free) soap, and dry your hands with a lint-free cloth or tissues.
• Clean your lenses after removal as indicated by your eyecare practitioner. Use only the recommended solutions.
• Clean your lens storage case in warm soapy water at least once a week. Rinse thoroughly and wipe dry using a clean tissue.
• When handling your lenses, work over a clean flat surface. Put the plug in the sink if working over a sink.
• If you drop a lens, clean and rinse before reapplying.
• Remember the importance of good blinking. Regular and complete blinking will help you to keep the lens moist and clean.
• Consult your eyecare practitioner if you experience any unexplained redness, persistent pain, discomfort, change in vision, excessive tearing, light sensitivity or unusual eye secretions.
• Discard all solutions one month after opening, even if there is still solution remaining.
• Carry your storage case and solution with you at all times if possible.
• Always keep your spectacles up to date so that you can use them if you lose or break a lens, or if you are advised not to wear lenses for any period of time.
• Take care or close your eyes when using cosmetics or aerosol sprays, such as hairsprays, while wearing your lenses. Such products may leave a residual film on the lens.
• Use swimming goggles when swimming with contact lenses.
• Wear protective glasses or goggles if you are in any situation where dust, sand grit or other foreign matter could enter your eye, such as bike riding, gardening, sanding or grinding, or working in a dusty environment.
• If you have been in a situation where there was an opportunity for foreign matter to enter your eye, clean and replace your lenses. If you are not sure that you have completely removed any foreign matter contact your eyecare practitioner.

Don’t do the following with your contact lenses

• Continue wearing your lenses if you are unwell.
• Continue wearing your lenses if your eyes are uncomfortable or unusually red.
• Place a lens in your mouth for cleaning or wetting.
• Use tap water to soak or rinse your lenses.
• Rub your eyes vigorously while wearing lenses.
• Mix up your lenses. The best way to avoid this is to always deal with the right lens first, whether inserting or removing, and ensure that it is safely on your eye or in the storage case, before attempting the left.
• Expose your lenses or storage case to undue heat.

Dos and don'ts of make-up use with contact lenses

Do

• Apply cosmetics after you insert your lenses.
• Apply eye make-up sparingly and take care so as not to risk spoilage or damage to a lens.
• Apply eye make-up on the outer lid margin only, not the inside.
• Remove lenses before removing make-up.
• Remove all make-up daily with an oil-free hypo-allergenic remover.
• If you should get any make-up on your lenses, clean immediately.
• Use eye make-up that has been specially formulated to be oil and fragrance free.
• Use a non-oily mascara which is waterproof, to prevent flaking and excessive smudging. Mascara with lash-building fibres should be avoided.
• Replace mascara and eyeliner products every three to six months to avoid contamination.
• Consult your eyecare practitioner if any redness, swelling pain or irritation occurs.

Don’t

• Apply cosmetics if you have red or swollen eyes or an eye infection.
• Allow make-up to come in contact with your lens.
• Use water or saliva to lubricate the make-up applicator. This could cause infection.
• Apply eyeliner to the inner margin of your eyelid.
• Use an oil-based remover.
• Use make-up with preservatives if you have any allergies.
• Share cosmetics.
• Expose cosmetics to heat.
• Use aerosols with eyes open after lens insertion.