Contact Lenses

[Icey]

I am currently plagued by the need to wear glasses. I say plagued because I think I'd look much better with contacts, but I just can't manage to get them in and out. I tried once like 3 years ago, and it took an hour to get them in and out once. The doctor's assistant told me "maybe contacts aren't for you". I'm really bad at getting things in my eyes, like, I can't really even put eyedrops in my eyes. I have a natural reflex to avoid putting shit in my eyes, and it's very strong.

So, how do I get over this? How do I learn how to wear contacts? Should I try to start with getting used to putting eyedrops in? Maybe practice touching the white part of my eyes with a (clean) finger? I really want to get contacts because I think glasses are hurting my game...

[Pineconn]

Well, it used to take me 10 minutes at the max to get my contacts in at first, but I eventually got better. This was just a matter of practice and experience, and it may not be relevant to you. I don't necessarily have a problem with putting foreign materials in/on my eyes, but I'd imagine it's a common survival reflex. Contacts are worlds better than glasses (especially in the winter -- no fogging..... but you live in LA :p), and I suggest trying to wear them. Did you try just the one time to insert your contacts, or did you continuously not have results over an extended period?

I keep my contacts in 24/7, which I know is bad, but whatever. I have no problems. I just pop them out at the end of the month and throw the new ones in.

[MottZilla]

How blind are you without glasses? Could you just not wear them unless you have to like for driving? Maybe you could look into natural ways of improving eye sight.

[Icey]

I only tried once, Pineconn.

And I'm fairly blind without glasses. Can't read signs/the chalkboard, and people look like blobs.

I got some feedback from friends who had similar problems and said to try and take them home to practice on my own. I think I might do that.

[Pineconn]

Yep. Definitely keep at it. Like me, I'm sure you'll get better at it. They taught me a horrible method, so I made my own: I use my left thumb [underneath] and index finger [above] to stretch the eyelids, and I put the lens on the tip of my right index finger. Seems simple -- it is -- but they taught me to do it all with one hand and it was horribly complicated.

Give it at least two weeks; you should notice a significant improvement. You can probably ask for a take-home trial pair from your optometrist.

[Anthus]

I wore contacts for about a year, and yeah, I sucked at first too. I just tried to suck it up, and put them in, which is kind of all you can do. And, yeah, the way Pineconn said to do it is how I did it. I never left them in for more than a few days though, and I stopped leaving them in overnight altogether when I heard a horror story about them getting stuck up above your eye.

As for getting used to it, touching your eye is still a different sensation than putting a contact in simply because even if you clean your finger, the oils can still cause some slight discomfort. One thing to remember is, contacts can be put in upside down, which may cause discomfort, but blinking a few times will moved it around, but since I have an astigmatism, sometimes blinking would pop them out if they weren't straight...

So, after getting frustrated, and using up my six pairs, I just got glasses.

[King Link]

Never tried contacts. Hate stuff in/near my eyes. Prefer my stylish, handsome glasses.