I can't keep from tearing my soft contact lenses

Do you find yourself saying "I can't keep from tearing my soft contact lenses"? If you do, I have a couple tips for you. Soft contacts are very thin and pliable pieces of plastic, some of which are pure water content. All Lenses must be handled with care, yet still care and caution is sometimes not enough.

It helps to understand that soft contact lenses are made of plastic and water. When a lens is exposed to the air, it begins to dehydrate at a rapid pace. When a lens dehydrates, it can be losing up to 50 to 68% of its mass, making it a dry and fragile piece of plastic. So tip #1 is to keep the lens hydrated at all times.

Another culprit of tearing lenses is the contact lens case. If you ever open your case only to find a chunk missing from your lens, the case probably took a bite out of the lens when you last put it away. To stop this from ever happening, simply ensure your soft lens is in the case completely submerged in solution. Never put the lens anywhere near the threads of the case cap, which will most certainly tear the lens. Tip #2; be certain to store your soft contact lenses properly.

With winter coming, all our hands are a little more dry and chapped. A thin lens will tear if it gets caught on dry rough skin. Rewetting the lens prior to removing it will help; also coating your fingers with saline solution or a multipurpose contact lens solution will make them a bit softer. Do not use moisturizer prior to handling contact lenses as this will ruin the lens and possibly irritate your eyes. Tip #3; wash your hands and use a rewetting drop or your multipurpose solution prior to removing soft contacts.

If you grab a soft lens too hard, squeeze it, or pinch it with nails; it will most certainly tear. Tip #4 is simple; be gentle. If you have long nails, cut them until you get the hang of handling soft contact lenses.

Some lenses are thinner than others; some will tear if you look at them the wrong way while others act like taffy and hardly ever tear. If you have tried all the previous tips and tricks yet still habitually tear your lenses, you may want to consider a different type of lens. Tip #5, visit your eye care provider and ask if there is a lens that you won't tear as frequently.

Soft contact lenses are incredibly comfortable because they are thin and fragile. Remember to take the good with the bad. If soft lens were made impossible to tear, it wouldn't be a soft lens at all. It would be a rigid gas permeable lens, and even those can scratch and chip. Learn to handle your lenses carefully and always keep them hydrated. I am certain this will save you a couple rips and tears in the future.

This article was written by Steve Cogger, contact lens specialist and fellow of the Contact Lens Society of America. For more great contact lens advice, visit www.All-About-Contact-Lenses.com now.