I constantly tear my soft contact lenses, is there anything I can do to stop ripping my lenses
Soft lenses tear, it is a fact of life. However, proper handling can prevent most any lens from tearing. Realize that some lenses will tear easier than others. Factors will include lens material and thickness.
In general, the higher the water content of a lens, the easier it may rip or tear. And the thinner the lens, also the easier it may tear. So a thin and high water content lens is going to split easier than say a low water content standard (thicker) conventional lens.
Which factors cause a lens to tear? The number one factor is dryness. A dry lens can split if you look at it the wrong way. So always keep your lens hydrated. When putting your lenses on, make sure to constantly rinse them with your solution. A lens that is out in the air will tend to dry very quickly, so have your solution bottle handy.
Never use your nails to handle the lens. This is pretty obvious, however I still see people grabbing lenses using their nails like tweezers. Don’t do that, doing so will rip a contact lens.
If a lens folds into itself (so it is shaped more like a quesadilla than a bowl) never try to peel it open. If this happens, just put the lens in the palm of your hand and squirt it with a lot of solution. Then you should be able to gently roll the lens open.
And lastly if your eye feels dry before removing the lens, use a rewetting drop prior to taking off the lens. Lots of people tear a lens while removing it. More often than not it is caused by a dry lens. If your eye and lens are hydrated and the lens still rips, you pinched it too hard.
This covers the more common handling errors with contact lenses. There is one more culprit when it comes to torn contact lenses. The lens case.
When you put your lenses away, make certain they are completely submerged in solution and nowhere near the threads of the case. The case will take a chunk out of your lenses if you are not careful. If your lens looks like Cookie Monster took a bite out of the side of it, chances are your case did it
A torn lens is garbage, aside from feeling awful they can cause damage. So do your best to not tear your contacts. Keep these pointers in mind and you are sure to save a few lenses in the coming years.
