Fear of Touching Your Eyes? 3 Tricks to Putting in Contacts
Posted Mar 30, 2023 | Tips, Tricks & Tech
Many people hold off on trying contact lenses because they’re uncomfortable touching their eyes. That’s usually a good instinct—our fingers can introduce germs, dust, and dirt where they don’t belong, causing irritation or eye infections. However, it’s possible to overcome this fear and successfully insert contacts. If you’re nervous about touching your eyes to put in contacts, consider the following advice:
1. Ask a friend to demonstrate.
Chances are you know someone who uses contacts. See if they’ll walk you through the process step-by-step. People who are experienced with contacts can put them in rather quickly, so it may help for them to slow down. Watching a friend touch his or her eyes can be the first step to convincing yourself it’s no big deal.2. Practice touching your eyes without contacts.
Wash your hands with soap, sit in a relaxed position, and slowly bring your fingertip towards your eye. It helps to use the index finger and thumb of your other hand to hold the eye open, just as you would if inserting a real contact lens. Gently touch your eye and—nothing happens. It’s that easy. Once you’ve trained your eyes to stay open while touching them it should be much easier to put in contacts for the first time.3. Schedule a contact lens consultation with your eye doctor.
Optometrists introduce people to contact lenses on a regular basis. Let your eye doctor know about your reluctance to touch your eyes and see if they can calm your fears, dispel common myths (no, contacts can’t get stuck behind your eyes), and demonstrate the correct way to put in contacts. This is also a good opportunity to ask them any lingering questions you have about wearing contacts. We can help you find a local eye doctor if you’re in the market!
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Information received through VSP Vision Care's social media channels is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, medical recommendations, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.