A stuck contact lens almost always comes out with a combination of moisture and patience. The lens is sitting on the surface of your eye, dried out or suctioned against the tissue, and the fix is to rehydrate it until it moves freely again. Before you do anything else, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
Why Contact Lenses Get Stuck
Contact lenses stick when they lose moisture. This happens if you fall asleep wearing them, spend a long time in dry air, or skip blinking during extended screen time. As the lens dries, it grips the surface of your eye more tightly, and your normal removal technique stops working. The good news: the lens hasn’t fused to your eye. It just needs lubrication to break that seal.
One fear you can let go of right now: the lens cannot slide behind your eyeball. A membrane called the conjunctiva lines the inside of your eyelids and connects to the surface of your eye, creating a physical barrier. The American Academy of Ophthalmology confirms that a contact lens can only travel as far as the crease under your upper eyelid. It may feel like it disappeared, but it’s still right there on the front surface of your eye.
Removing a Stuck Soft Contact Lens
Start by flooding your eye with moisture. Use sterile saline solution, preservative-free rewetting drops, or a sterile eye wash. Let a steady stream flow over the eye for several seconds. Do not use your regular contact lens cleaning solution as an eye rinse, and never use tap water. Tap water contains low levels of bacteria that are harmless when swallowed but can cause serious eye infections when applied directly to the eye.
After rinsing, blink repeatedly. This does two things: it spreads your natural tears across the lens and gently nudges it loose. If the lens still won’t budge, close your eye and lightly massage your upper eyelid in small circular motions. You should be able to feel the moment the lens loosens and shifts. Once it moves, you can slide it down toward the white of your eye and pinch it off with the pads of your fingertips as you normally would.
If the lens has migrated under your upper eyelid, look downward while pulling the lid gently away from your eye. The combination of eye position and lid movement often brings the lens back into view. You can repeat the rinse-blink-massage cycle several times. Patience matters more than force here.
Removing a Stuck Hard (RGP) Lens
Rigid gas permeable lenses require a different approach. These lenses are smaller and stiffer than soft lenses, which makes them easier to handle but also more prone to getting stuck or shifting position. Start the same way: add a few drops of sterile saline or artificial tears to lubricate the eye and the lens.
For hard lenses, pulling outward on just the upper eyelid while blinking firmly can pop the lens off the eye’s surface. Use only gentle pressure. If that doesn’t work, a small suction cup tool (sometimes called a DMV plunger, available at most pharmacies that sell contact lens supplies) can help. Moisten the tip with sterile saline, press it gently against the visible lens, and use the suction to lift it away. Only use this tool if you can clearly see the lens on your eye. These suction tools are designed exclusively for hard lenses and should never be used on soft contacts.
What Not to Do
The biggest risk when removing a stuck lens isn’t the lens itself. It’s injuring your eye in the process. Resist the urge to dig at the lens with your fingernails. The sharp edge of a nail can scratch your cornea, causing what’s known as a corneal abrasion. Symptoms include severe stinging pain, redness, extreme sensitivity to light, and blurred vision. A corneal scratch also creates an opening for bacteria, which can turn a minor injury into a full-blown infection.
Fingernails cause problems for the lens too. They can leave microscopic scratches on the surface that collect germs and protein deposits, or tear the lens entirely. Pinching with nails creates uneven pressure that can fold or twist the lens, pushing it further in rather than pulling it out. If you can’t grip the lens with the soft pads of your fingers, add more moisture and try again rather than switching to your nails.
Never use tweezers, cotton swabs, or any other tool that wasn’t specifically designed for contact lens removal. And skip the tap water. Even filtered tap water contains bacteria that can lead to eye infections. Stick to sterile, store-bought saline or eye wash.
Signs You Need Professional Help
Most stuck lenses come out within a few minutes of rehydrating. But if you’ve been trying for a while and the lens won’t move, stop before you irritate your eye further. See an eye care provider if you’re experiencing significant pain, if your vision has become blurry or decreased suddenly, or if you simply can’t locate or free the lens after repeated attempts.
Seek urgent care or an emergency room if you notice fluid leaking from your eye, if you’re in extreme pain, or if you’ve had a sudden, noticeable drop in vision. These symptoms can indicate a corneal abrasion or another injury that needs prompt treatment. An optometrist or ophthalmologist has the tools and magnification to safely locate and remove a lens that you can’t reach on your own.
Preventing Lenses From Getting Stuck
The simplest prevention is keeping your lenses moist. Use rewetting drops throughout the day, especially in air-conditioned or heated rooms. Never sleep in lenses that aren’t approved for overnight wear. Even extended-wear lenses benefit from occasional removal to let your eyes breathe.
Replace your lenses on schedule. Older lenses lose their ability to retain moisture and are more likely to dry out and stick. And keep a small bottle of preservative-free saline or rewetting drops in your bag so you’re never caught without lubrication if a lens starts feeling tight.