Putting in daily contact lenses takes practice, but the technique is straightforward once you get the hang of it. Most new wearers need a few days to feel comfortable with the process, and the biggest hurdle is usually the natural reflex to blink when something approaches your eye. Here’s exactly how to do it, from start to finish.
Wash and Dry Your Hands First
Clean hands are non-negotiable. Wash with soap and water, rinse thoroughly, and dry with a lint-free towel or a fresh paper towel. Almost any soap works as long as you rinse it off completely. Some guides recommend avoiding moisturizing soaps because of the residue they leave on your fingertips, though this is less of a concern if you rinse well. What matters most is that your fingers are free of oils, lotion, and fibers before you touch a lens.
Check That the Lens Isn’t Inside Out
Peel open the foil pack and slide the lens onto the tip of your index or middle finger on your dominant hand. Before it goes near your eye, look at its shape from the side. A correctly oriented lens looks like a smooth, rounded bowl with edges that curve inward. If the edges flare outward, creating a lip or rim (more like a soup bowl than a cereal bowl), the lens is inside out.
Many daily lenses also have tiny laser-etched numbers or letters near the edge. If those markings read normally, you’re good. If they appear reversed or backwards, flip the lens. An inside-out lens won’t damage your eye, but it will feel uncomfortable and won’t sit properly.
Insert the Lens Step by Step
Place the lens on the tip of your index or middle finger of your dominant hand. The lens should sit like a small cup on your fingertip, not draped over the sides. Make sure your finger is relatively dry so the lens doesn’t slide around.
With your non-dominant hand, reach over and use a finger to pull your upper eyelid up and hold it firmly against your brow bone. This keeps you from blinking. Then use the middle or ring finger of your dominant hand (whichever isn’t holding the lens) to pull your lower eyelid down. You’re now holding both lids open with different hands while the lens sits on your fingertip, ready to go.
An alternative approach: use your thumb and fingers of your non-dominant hand to hold both the upper and lower lids wide open. This frees your dominant hand to focus entirely on placing the lens.
Look straight ahead into a mirror, or if you find that difficult, look slightly upward. Bring the lens toward your eye slowly and place it directly on the colored part of your eye (the iris). Once the lens makes contact, it will naturally adhere to the moisture on your eye’s surface. Release your lower lid first, then your upper lid. Blink gently a few times. The lens should center itself and your vision should clear up within a second or two.
If the lens folds or slips off your finger, place it back in a drop of fresh solution from the pack, reshape it, and try again. Don’t force it.
Repeat for Your Second Eye
Always start with the same eye each time so you don’t mix up your prescription. Most people start with their right eye. Open a fresh pack for your second lens and repeat the same process. If your prescription is different in each eye, the power is printed on the foil, so double-check before inserting.
Tips if You Keep Blinking
The blink reflex is the single biggest obstacle for new contact lens wearers. A few things help. First, hold your lids open firmly enough that blinking isn’t physically possible. Many people underestimate how much pressure they need to apply. Second, try looking slightly above the lens as you bring it toward your eye rather than staring directly at your approaching finger. Third, give yourself time. Your reflex will fade as your brain learns that the lens isn’t a threat. Most people become comfortable within a week of daily practice.
Contacts Go in Before Makeup
If you wear makeup, always insert your lenses first. This prevents transferring makeup residue from your fingers onto the lens surface. At the end of the day, reverse the order: wash your hands, remove your lenses, then take off your makeup. Removing makeup first risks dripping makeup remover or smearing product into your eyes while the lenses are still in.
How to Remove Daily Lenses
Wash and dry your hands. Look up or straight ahead in a mirror. Use the index finger of your dominant hand to slide the lens down to the lower white part of your eye. Then gently pinch the lens between your index finger and thumb in a tight “V” shape. The slight pressure causes the center of the lens to pop away from your eye so you can grip it. Make sure you’re touching only the lens itself, not sweeping your fingers across your entire eye.
If you have long nails or the pinch method feels awkward, try the sweeping method instead: use one finger to slide the lens down onto the white of your eye, then pinch it off from there. The key is gentle, controlled movements.
Throw Them Away After One Wear
Daily disposable lenses are designed for a single use of up to 16 hours. Do not sleep in them, rinse them, or reuse them the next day. They’re thinner than reusable lenses and aren’t built to survive cleaning and overnight storage. Once they’re out of your eyes, they’re done.
Toss used lenses in the trash, not down the sink or toilet. Research from Arizona State University found that lenses flushed down the drain end up in wastewater treatment plants, where microbes break down the plastic polymers into microplastics. Those microplastics accumulate in sewage sludge, which is routinely spread on agricultural land and can eventually reach waterways. The fix is simple: drop used lenses in the garbage with your regular solid waste.
Keep Water Away From Your Lenses
Never rinse, store, or expose your daily lenses to tap water, bottled water, or any water that isn’t sterile contact lens solution. Water causes soft lenses to swell and change shape, which can make them stick to your cornea and scratch its surface. More importantly, tap water commonly contains an amoeba called Acanthamoeba that can cause a severe eye infection known as Acanthamoeba keratitis. This infection is painful, difficult to treat (sometimes requiring a year or more of treatment), and in rare cases can lead to a corneal transplant or permanent vision loss.
This means removing your lenses before showering, swimming, or using a hot tub. If a lens feels dry or uncomfortable during the day, use rewetting drops approved for contact lenses rather than water.