How to Safely Insert Colored Contacts (Step by Step)

With colored contact lenses growing in popularity as accessories for makeup, cosplay, and more, spreading the word about proper contact lens care and safety is growing in importance, too. Everyone who wears contacts should have a thorough understanding of how to properly handle their lenses to avoid infection and potential long-term eye health issues. 

Today, we'll guide you on how to put in colored contacts correctly to maximize safety and mitigate health risks. By the time you're done reading, you'll be a total pro!      

Preparing to Put In Your Contacts

Wash Your Hands Thoroughly

Your hands come into contact with millions of germs every day, and transferring them to your eyes could result in infection or permanent injury. Even if you don’t think you need a refresher on hand washing, we highly encourage you to read this part anyway.

Using warm water and soap, scrub your hands for a minimum of 20 seconds. Make sure you pay attention to areas where bacteria can hide, like your fingertips, nail beds, and the space under your nails. Once everything is squeaky clean, it’s best to dry your hands with a microfiber towel or cloth so no dust or lint sticks to your fingers.

Gather Your Supplies

Now that you’ve got clean hands, it’s time to get the essentials together. Obviously, you’ll already have your colored contact lenses and their case, but there’s more to it than that. You’ll need contact solution, which is sold by brands like Biotrue, Opti-Free, and Clear Care, and you can choose to use a mirror and tweezers if you want. A mirror makes putting contacts in much easier for people who don’t have the muscle memory to do it without one, and tweezers can be helpful if you have trouble taking your lenses out of the case (be careful not to tear them, though!).

Step-by-Step Guide for Inserting Colored Contacts

Step 1: Inspect your contact lenses

The simple act of taking a look at your lenses before putting them in can save you a lot of pain and hassle. It’s important to check for tears as well as dust or other foreign objects that will irritate your eyes. Damaged lenses should be discarded and replaced, while dirty lenses can be cleaned with fresh contact solution before use. Just make sure you don’t mix up the left and right lenses when you take them out of the case!

Step 2: Place the lens on your fingertip

Take the first lens and place it on the fingertip you’ll be using to insert it. Look closely to make sure the lens is right side out. An inside out lens will flare out slightly around the edges, whereas a right side out lens will look like a uniform, rounded bowl. If you’re not sure, it’s time for the taco test! Start by gently folding the lens between your thumb and forefinger. If the edges seem to point towards each other and the lens forms a taco shape, it’s right side out. If the sides of the lens flatten against the contours of your fingers, it’s inside out and you’ll need to invert it before continuing.

Step 3: Hold your eyelid open

There are tons of ways to hold your eyes open to put in your contacts, so it’s a good idea to try different hand orientations to see what’s most comfortable for you. For example, some people hold their eye open with the same hand they’re inserting the contact with, while others prefer to use one hand for each action. The main thing to keep in mind is that your eyelids are delicate and should be handled gently with clean fingers. Try to avoid touching your actual eyeball. If you’re having trouble keeping your eye open wide enough, you can try an eyelid stretcher tool to make things a little easier, but if that sounds too intimidating, just keep practicing.

Step 4: Insert the lens

With your eye wide open and your lens properly prepared, look up towards the sky and delicately insert your contact by placing it on the white of your eye and slowly pulling your finger away. Then, release your eyelid and blink a few times so the lens migrates to your cornea. If you feel any discomfort or if the lens seems like it’s not oriented the right way, take it out, rinse it with contact solution, and try again.

Step 5: Repeat for the other eye

You’re almost there—all that’s left to do is put in the other lens. To be extra safe, we recommend washing your hands again before repeating the above steps for your second contact lens. Once you’re done, take a look in the mirror and admire your new eye color!

Other Important Info

• Colored contacts can be a risky purchase due to the prevalence of lower-quality products and companies online. When shopping for lenses, you should only buy from reputable brands that are FDA-approved and require proof of prescription for lenses with magnification.
• The recommended procedures for cleaning and storing your contacts may vary based on the brand of contact solution you use, so do your research and follow your brand’s instructions for best results.
• Properly removing your contacts is just as important as safely putting them in. With clean hands, gently pinch the lens and pull it out of your eye, then clean and store it according to the recommended instructions for your brand of contact solution. You can optionally use contact lens tweezers or a similar lens applicator, but as always, be extremely careful when using these tools.
• Schedule regular checkups with your eye doctor to monitor your eye health and keep your prescription up to date.

Conclusion

In this article, we covered the essential steps on how to put in colored contacts, from washing your hands to gathering your supplies to actually inserting the lenses. We encourage readers to keep this guide handy for whenever you need to brush up on the basics of contact care and safety. If you have any further questions about contacts or eye health, ask your eye doctor or another vision health professional for guidance. Please note that the guide we’ve provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for advice from a medical professional.

You can come back to our website regularly to read our blog and get all the latest tips and tricks related to colored contact usage, makeup recommendations, and emerging trends. We hope you have an amazing time expanding your fashion horizons with Unicoeye!