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Your First Day in Contact Lenses as an Adult

2026.10.12
Your First Day in Contact Lenses as an Adult

Many people wear glasses for years and try lenses for the first time as adults. For a wedding, for sport, for a trip, or simply because they are tired of glasses.

Then you put a lens on your fingertip and your eye shuts by itself. That is nothing strange. Everyone is like that at first.

A child's first lenses are covered in "I Want Contacts Too": Six Things Parents Should Check When a Child First Asks. This article is for adults.

Before you start: nails and soap

Hands washing with soap under running water

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) recommends keeping your fingernails short, because you could scratch your eye while putting lenses in or taking them out.

Wash your hands with soap and water and dry them with a lint-free towel. The AAO advises avoiding soaps with added oils or fragrances, because they can end up on the lens.

Putting a lens in, step by step

These are the steps the AAO gives.

  1. Wash your hands.
  2. Gently shake the lens case to loosen the lens.
  3. Rinse the lens fully with contact lens solution.
  4. Place the lens on the tip of your index or middle finger.
  5. Hold your upper eyelid open with your other hand.
  6. Place the lens on your eye.
  7. Close your eyes slowly and roll them in a full circle to help the lens settle.

Before placing it, check that the lens is not inside out. How to check is explained in How Can You Tell a Lens Is Inside Out?

The AAO says to blink a few times and then check in a mirror that the lens is centered. A properly placed lens should feel comfortable and let you see clearly.

Always start with the same eye

One AAO tip is especially useful: always put the first lens in the same eye. If you decide to start with the right eye, start with the right eye every day. If your two eyes have different prescriptions, also check the left (L) and right (R) marks on your lens case.

Taking a lens out

The AAO says to always start by washing your hands when removing lenses too. These are the steps for soft lenses given by the US eye information site Optometrists.org.

  1. Wash your hands and dry them with a lint-free towel.
  2. Look up toward the ceiling and gently pull down your lower eyelid with your middle finger.
  3. Touch the lower edge of the lens with your index finger and slowly slide it down onto the white of the eye.
  4. Gently pinch the lens between your thumb and index finger to remove it.

The same site explains that it may feel strange at first but usually only takes a few days to get used to.

When the lens disappears under the eyelid

This is the moment that startles first-time wearers most. When you can't see the lens, you worry it has gone behind your eye.

The AAO answers: the lens can only go as far as the fold of the conjunctiva under the upper eyelid, and it cannot go behind your eye.

The AAO suggests:

  • Put in sterile saline or artificial tears to help float the lens out.
  • Look down as far as possible to bring the lens into view.
  • If you can see an edge of the lens in a mirror, slide it back down over the cornea with a finger.
  • Gently massage through the eyelid toward the cornea.

If you still can't get it out, or your eye is bothering you, the AAO says to schedule an appointment with your eye doctor as soon as possible.

What to keep to in the first few days

A lens case, solution, glasses and a hand with short nails

Wear them for the time you were prescribed. How many hours to wear lenses in the first days is set by your eye care provider, based on the lens and your eyes. Don't wear them for long from the start just because they feel comfortable.

Don't sleep in your lenses. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises against sleeping in lenses unless your eye care provider has approved overnight wear.

Keep them away from water. The CDC recommends removing lenses before swimming or showering.

Replace them on schedule. Daily lenses last one day; two-week lenses, two weeks. The AAO advises replacing lenses as often as prescribed.

Carry backup glasses. The CDC recommends carrying glasses with your current prescription in case you need to take your lenses out.

When to take them out and see an eye doctor

The AAO says that if your eyes are very red, painful, watery, sensitive to light, blurry, or have discharge, you should remove your lenses and call your eye doctor right away. More detail is in Signs You Should Take Your Lenses Out Now.

The awkwardness of the first day fades with practice. Pain is not something you practice away.

References

This article is general information and does not replace diagnosis or treatment. Follow the instructions of the eye care professional who prescribed your lenses on how to wear them and for how long.

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