How do I Know if my Contact Lens is Inside Out ?
“How can I tell if my contact lens is inside out?”
Many new contact lens wearers often ask this question. We know that it can be difficult to tell if your lenses are inside out because soft contact lenses are extremely thin, but it is possible and we will show you how.
Even experienced contact lens wearers have trouble with inside out contact lens, but what to do ?
The solution is to remove the lenses to examine them when feeling any discomfort in your eyes. After checking the lenses to find any mark or scrap, if you can’t find any cause or reason of discomfort, maybe you are wearing inside out contact lenses.
There are a few easy ways to tell if you lenses are inside out.
Check your lenses from the side
The first step is to check the lenses from the side. The trick is to put a contact lens on the tip of your index finger with the edge of the lens pointing up into a cup form. Then hold the lens up in front of your eyes to examine it from the side.
If the lens is not upside down and ready to place on your eyes, you should notice a cup shape with the edge perfectly upright like “U” shape. But if the edge of the lens has a noticeable outward bend like a soup bowl with a rim like “V” shape, then the lens is inside out.
You can also check the tint color that extends to the edge of the lens, if the color on the edge looks pale or washed out, the lens is inside out.
Do The Taco Test
The second method is called the “taco test”. To do this examination you need to place the contact lens between the tips of your thumb and index finger. Grasp the lens near the center to let the edge free and gently pinch the lens in half.
If the edge of the lens points up like a hard-shell taco, then the lens is not upside down and you can put it on your eyes. If the edge bends back toward your thumb and finger, then the lens is probably inside out.
Look For Markings
The final method to check if your lens is inside out is to look for any codes, letters or numbers that mark on the lens. Some contact lenses have a laser marking to help you determine if your contact lens is inside out.
For example, Geo Big Grang Grang contact lenses have a “B” mark near the edge of the lens. To view this “B” mark, place the lens on your fingertip to check the side view. Make sure that the lens looks like a half ball and then hold the lens up to a bright light to see the lens clearly. If you can read the letter “B” then the lens is correct and ready to put on your eyes. If the letter “B” is backward, the contact is inside out.
Always keep your hands clean when checking the lenses and use a lot of contact lens solution to clean and keep the moist of the lens. When touching your contact lenses clean them and soak them one more time before wearing them.
The more you wear contact lenses, the easier it will become to tell if your contact lenses are inside out.
The truth is that wearing an inside out contact lens is not dangerous for your eyes and the lens but you will feel uncomfortable and the lens might move too much when you blink.
You can choose one of the methods above to check your lenses and always rinse them with multi-purpose contact lens solution before putting them back on your eyes.
If you are still having the problem to check your lens, please visit your eye doctor for a contact lens exam and to get the best advices to make sure that there is no other problem with your eyes.