Contact Care: To See or Not to See
Mar 31 '01
The Bottom Line Unlike glasses, contacts require a more extensive cleaning program. Consult
with your optometrist on the right program for yours.
Whoops....I did it again...
Yet another morning comes, and my eyes are blurry and dry. Too much smoke
in the room? No. Dry air? 'Fraid not. Stayed up too late, and forgot to
remove my contacts?
BINGO.
If there was ONE habit I wish I could break, it would be the
"sleep-all-night-in-my-contacts" habit. Not only is it unhealthy for my
eyes, it means I spend the rest of the day squinting, because of the
deposits on my contacts.
Yucks.
After wearing contacts for 7 years, I should know better. Don't be like me,
and spend the day squinting: Follow this easy care guide for contacts, and
see, see, SEE!
Consult with your optometrist before trying a new product.
Basic common sense, right? You don't want to put anything in your eyes,
unless you are certain it won't cause instant blindness or nasty burning.
Your optometrist will be familiar with most products out there. It doesn't
cost to call the office and ask if they endorse a certain product. Save
yourself some potential pain and do it.
Determine the degree of care your contacts will require.
If you are lucky, you own the wear and toss variety. These are contacts
that get replaced daily, thus they don't require any maintenance. Put them in when you wake up, throw them away when you go to sleep. Sounds nice, huh? Too bad they cost a fortune.
Then you have the extended-disposables. These can last anywhere from 2 weeks (like mine) to a month. They as well, don’t require TOO much care. I use an all-in-one formula to soak and clean them, as well as a separate disinfectant once a week.
The last category is the extended wear. These can last anywhere from 6 months to a year. Obviously, they require the most care. When I was in this *stage*, I had more contact care formulas then I had makeup. Saline, disinfectant, cleaner, etc. While these contacts are usually the cheapest alternative, you may spend a small fortune in cleaning supplies alone!
Take care of them!
If the bottle says to use twice a week to ensure optimal performance...then DO IT! One of my biggest mistakes is (obviously) sleeping in mine. As a result, they don’t get cleaned as often as they should. Imagine if you will, that you contacts are little windows. Over time, they get streaks and grime built up. A good cleaning will keep the window clear as can be!
I know for us females, this can be hard, but short nails are a MUST with contacts. Keeping nails trimmed and hangnails smooth, will lengthen your contacts life. More then once, I have torn a contact on a nail. Not only is it a pain, but do you REALLY want to put a ragged nail anywhere near your eyeball??? Good chance of scratching your orb, which is NOT a fun thing to do!
Final Word
Yes, contacts require more care then glasses. After all, they go IN your eyes, not, OVER them. They will cause your eyes to dry out or on the other hand get watery. They will be Hades when you have allergies. They cost a fortune and require extensive cleaning. But, it is well worth the effort, when you look in the mirror and don’t see glass covered eyes staring back at you! :-)
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Epinions.com ID:
shan1
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Member: Shannie Wilson-Julkowski
Location: Portland, OR
Reviews written: 145
Trusted by: 36 members
About Me:
Jelly beans, Subway, and diet coke--need I say more?
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