Contact Lens Wearers – Women Your Morning Routine
CLEANSE
Wash eyelids and lashes in the morning with LidHygenix Eyelid Cleanser to remove any overnight debris. Use in the shower! This scrub is designed specifically for cleaning eyelids and lashes. Use generously. The foaming action removes eye makeup left behind, makeup remover residue as well as pollen, dust, dander and pollution that gets trapped in lashes and eyelids. This works better than plain water and will not harm your eyes like other soaps including baby shampoo.
CLEANSE
Always wash hands before handling contacts. You are at an increased risk for eye infection from contaminants on your hands or the contacts if they have touched an unclean surface. You want to use OCuSOFT Hand Soap for Contact Lens, specially designed to leave hands clean of lotion, oil or soap residues that potentially end up on contact lenses. If you are complaining about “cloudy lens” you may have debris on the lens.
PREPARE
• Check contacts for correct orientation. It does not matter how they are in the package. With all edges visible, the contact should look like a bowl. There should not be a lip to the lens. The lens should roll together more like a burrito than fold together like a taco. Some contacts are very hard to tell the difference.
• Many contacts have letters or numbers on them that can be seen when held up to light. For correct orientation the numbers/letters read on the outside edge. If it reads inside edge of the bowl its inside out. 
• You MAY feel a slight irritation if it is inside out and you MAY not be able to see as well depending on your prescription. If you use reading glasses, they may be helpful when handling the contact to determine if the lens is inside out and to put them properly in the case.
• Pour Contacts into the palm of hand or gently scoop them out of case. Do not dig them out of case with fingernail. This is the number one reason for tearing or damaging lens.
• Let the case air-dry. Your case should be replaced every 3 months. You can also disinfect your case in the top drawer of your dishwasher when needed.
• See video for insertion and removal of contact lenses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKnHWfw4Azo
TIP: Use brand name solution for your soft contacts. Do NOT use water.
Dr. Bonnin recommends NOT using generic store brands because it is an older technology.
The newer technology solutions clean more effectively and keep the eyes comfortable longer.
HYDRATE
• Put a couple Single Dose Retaine MGD Emulsion Artificial Tears in your pocket. If you feel you need eye drops every hour, we need to evaluate the cause. You should be comfortable most of the day with vision and comfort of contacts.
• Eyes need hydration too so be sure to drink 8 glasses of water/day.
TIP: Do not sleep in your contacts. You should remove contacts nightly the first week of contact lens wear regardless if you are wearing contacts that are made to sleep in. Ask the Doctor at your follow-up visit if you can sleep in your contacts. The Doctor will check the health and tear structure of the eye after regular use of the contacts to see if it is appropriate for you to sleep in the contacts. If you fall asleep with the contacts on, rewet your eyes with eye drops (made for contacts) or contact lens solution before trying to remove them. Sometimes the lens will dry and become stuck to the eye so removing the contact when it is like this may damage the surface of the eye. Simply add solution and move the contact lens side to side to make sure it is moving freely before removing.
Night Routine
CLEANSE
Prior to removing contact lenses, wash your hands with OCuSOFT Hand Soap for Contact Lens. Take out contact lenses.
CLEANSE
Rub your contacts to clean them when you take them out. Place contact in the palm of your hand and rub with your finger for about 10 seconds on each side and rinsing with your name brand solution. This helps remove any build up of proteins, bacteria and debris from the day. Place contacts in your case with clean solution every night to store. Make sure the contact is on the bottom of the case before screwing on the top of case so not to damage the lens. Do not reuse solution in your case.
CLEANSE
Use Dr. Bonnin's Lid & Lash Cleansing System. See Dr. Bonnin’s Special Report How Makeup Causes Eye Problems
Get a good night sleep – most Americans don’t get 8 hours
Call the Doctor when-
1. If your eyes become red or irritated
2. If you have any questions.
3. Slight, brief changes in vision and light sensitivity are not unusual when wearing contact lenses. However, DO NOT persist in wearing a lens which causes pain, unusual redness, abnormal light sensitivity, or sustained blurred vision. Remove lenses and contact your eye care professional.
Things to Consider:
- A pair of backup glasses are highly recommended for emergencies, eye infections, and to give your eyes a break once in a while.
- Replacement Schedule: Replacement schedule is based on your prescription. Contacts are manufactured to last different lengths of time. (Normally 1 day, 2 weeks or 1 month). Please replace as directed. Contacts may need to be replaced sooner than the directed time due to damage of the lens. Most damage occurs when removing the lens from the case. (If you experience damage regularly please contact our office to go over insertion and removal and overall handling of the lens).
You Maybe Tempted....but
- Don’t sleep in contacts unless Doctor has Ok’d it for you.
- Don’t swim underwater with contacts on. Don’t reuse Solutions.
- Don’t use tap water to rewet or store contacts. Don’t use saliva to rewet contacts.
- Don’t store lens dry. Don’t wear extended lenses over 7 days w/o removing them.
- Don’t wear a damaged lens. Don’t use soaps that contain lotion or cream on eyelids.
- Don’t exceed the prescribed wearing schedule. Don’t wear lenses if your eyelids are matted or “stuck together” upon waking.
- Don’t wear lenses in a tanning bed.
- Don’t use eye medications, prescribed or OTC (Visine, Murine, etc.) without Doctor approval.