One of the many things that people fear about wearing contact lenses is the care and maintenance. It might seem that wearing contact lenses is difficult, especially to first time users. Putting a piece of silicone gel directly on your eye might sound extremely painful, but it is surprisingly comfortable, especially if you are using a pair of contact lenses that allows your eyes to remain moist and retain oxygen.
Removing contact lenses is another story, though. With putting on contact lenses, your fingers will not directly touch the surface of the eyeball, but that is not so with removing the lenses.
There are ways to remove your contact lenses safely and painlessly. You should always begin with clean hands and a clean work area, as making sure that the contact lenses are clean is of paramount importance. Clean lenses will last you for a longer time. Also, keeping your fingernails short and filed will ensure that you will not be scratching your eyeballs, which is one of the most delicate parts of your body. Long and sharp fingernails will also sometimes tear the delicate material of the contact lens.
The best way to remove contact lenses is to hold one eye wide open and have the other hand “pinch” the lenses off the eyeballs gently. Sometimes, the eyes would feel a little bit dry and the lenses will seem stuck on the eyeball. If this occurs, use a lubricating eye drop and let the eyes rest for a minute or two.
Gas-permeable contact lenses are easier to remove than the regular soft lenses—you will just have to hold a cupped hand under an eye, and with the other pull at the outer corner of your eye toward the ear. Blink for a few times and the contact lenses will pop right off.