5 Tips to Help You Adjust to Life with Scleral Contact Lenses

Contact lenses offer millions of people the opportunity to see more clearly without the hassles and change in appearance that come with glasses. If you’re among those who require scleral contact lenses because of problems with an irregular cornea or another issue, you still need to make a few adjustments to your daily routine to get the most out of these corrective lenses.

At Vision and Ortho-K Center, Dr. Curtis Frank and our team offer a wide range of services that help our patients improve their vision. Because we understand that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for vision correction, we offer a variety of options, including scleral contact lenses.

As with any corrective device, there are a few adjustments you need to make, and we outline five of them here.

1. Cleanliness is key

Your vision is only as good as the lenses you’re peering through, so it’s important that you keep these lenses clean. Cleaning scleral contact lenses versus normal contact lenses isn’t any different and requires vigilance on your part. This means using the recommended cleaning products, cleaning your contact lenses according to instructions, and ensuring that your hands are clean (and dry) when you insert or remove your contact lenses.

2. Using makeup

For women, using scleral contact lenses and applying makeup requires some small adjustments. First, we recommend that you put your contact lenses in before you apply your makeup (they’ll also help you apply your makeup correctly!). Next, follow these tips:

• Use eye-friendly, hypoallergenic makeup
• Use creams rather than powders
• Don’t use eyeliner on the inside rims of your lower lids

When you want to remove your eye makeup, you should remove your lenses first.

3. UV protection

You shouldn’t count on your scleral contact lenses to protect your eyes against ultraviolet (UV) rays. Even if your lenses have a special coating, we still recommend that you use sunglasses with UV protection to protect your eyes against the sun’s harmful rays.

4. Mind your storage

While keeping your scleral contact lenses clean and washing your hands thoroughly when handling your lenses is important, don’t forget about your contact lens case. It’s very important that you routinely wash and sterilize your contact lens case, as debris can gather in these storage devices, as well as fungi that can lead to serious infections.

5. A matter of adjustment

Be patient as you learn how to put your scleral contact lenses in and remove them. Scleral contact lenses are larger than normal contact lenses, which makes working with them a lot easier, but you’ll still need a bit of practice. As well, once on your eyes, patients report that the larger scleral contact lenses are more comfortable. 

Still, wearing contact lenses takes some getting used to so be patient during the first few weeks of use as you learn how to handle and wear them with ease. Your patience is rewarded as you regain clear vision.

If you have any more questions about adjusting to life with scleral contact lenses, please don’t hesitate to contact our office in Boston, Massachusetts. You can call us or use the online tool to request an appointment.