A lot of contact lens wearers struggle with putting in and taking out contacts when they have long nails. That’s because those beautiful talons can be in the way, making it difficult to properly pinch and hold your contacts while trying to avoid poking and damaging your eyes.
Scratching your eye with your fingernails isn’t just painful, it can lead to serious problems if the scratch penetrates the tissue overlying the cornea (corneal abrasion), which can cause infection and permanent vision loss. You can reduce the risk of scratching your eye by washing and drying your hands and fingers thoroughly before touching your contacts. This includes scrubbing your nails and fingers with soap and water and cleaning under your nails to remove any bacteria or dirt that may have accumulated.
In addition to washing and scrubbing your fingers, you should also trim your nails as needed so that they are not too long. This will help you to take out your contacts without accidentally scratching them or breaking them.
Before you start removing your contacts, make sure that you are in a well-lit room and that your contact case is topped up with fresh disinfectant. Then, begin by positioning yourself in front of a mirror. Open your eyes and pull the upper eyelid up with one hand while using the middle finger on your dominant hand to gently pull the lower eyelid down. Use the index finger on either hand to push on opposite sides of your contact lens. This method can be a bit tricky but it is one of the most popular and commonly used methods.