If a lens will not come out, it is dry — not stuck. Almost every removal problem is solved by a few drops and thirty seconds of patience, and almost every removal injury comes from skipping that and pulling harder.
Before you start
- Wash and dry your hands on a lint-free towel
- Short nails, or work strictly with the finger pads
- Same eye first, every time — it is how you avoid mixing up two prescriptions
- Plug the sink if you are over one
Method 1: the pinch (soft lenses)
- Look up.
- Pull the lower lid down with the middle finger of the same hand.
- Place your index finger on the lower edge of the lens and slide it down onto the white of the eye.
- Pinch gently between thumb and index finger. The lens folds and releases.
Step three is the one that matters. Pinching while the lens is still on your cornea is what causes pinched tissue and scratches. Move it onto the sclera first, where there is far less sensation and more slack.
Method 2: the slide
Useful if bringing two fingers towards your eye makes you flinch.
- Look up
- Put the pad of your index finger on the lower edge of the lens
- Slide it towards the outer corner, towards your temple
- As it leaves the cornea it buckles and drops into your finger or your cupped palm
Rigid lenses do not pinch
A rigid lens will not fold, so you use lid tension instead:
- Open the eye wide and cup a hand underneath
- Pull the outer corner of the lids towards your temple
- Blink firmly. The lid margin catches the lens edge and pops it out into your hand
Scleral lenses come out with the small plunger supplied with them, applied to the lower third of the lens, never the centre — and the seal is broken first by pressing the lower lid up under the bottom edge to admit air.
If it will not come out
It is dry. Stop pulling.
- Put in two or three drops of rewetting solution or sterile saline — see which drops are safe
- Close the eye and blink gently several times
- Wait 30 to 60 seconds
- Try again
If it still will not move, or you cannot find it at all, do not panic: a lens cannot pass behind your eye. It has usually folded under the upper lid. Full technique in a lens stuck in your eye.
Mistakes that cost
- Using fingernails. A corneal scratch hurts for days and is an entry point for infection.
- Pulling at a dry lens. It takes epithelium with it.
- Leaving them in “just tonight” because you are tired — see why not.
- Rinsing with tap water. Never, for any reason — see why.
Once they are out
If they are dailies, bin them. No exceptions, and no saving one because you only wore it two hours.
If they are reusable: rub, rinse, fresh solution, and a case emptied and left to air-dry face down. See cleaning properly and the case guide, and replace the case every three months.
For the other direction, see how to insert contact lenses.
General information. Pain, vision loss or a very red eye needs same-day attention. Reviewed by Dr. Teresita Bollar, OD.
