For those of you who wear contacts, how long did it take for you to adjust?

They. Are. So. Good.

Really hard the first time, but once you got it, you got it.
First time, I really did feel like I would never be able to do it though =P

I gotta say though, once you are used to it, it doesn’t feel like there is anything in or on your eyes, it is just as if you have perfect vision.
Possibly the most amazing piece of modern technology I regularly experience.

I have been wearing contacts for more than twelve years. Although at first it can be a bit difficult to get them on your eyes, it quickly becomes second nature.
My advice would be to use one hand/finger to hold the eye open and the other to put the contact in. If it feels irritable once they are in, there may be some dirt on the contact or they are inside-out (that only goes for soft contacts). Always make sure your hands are clean. Don’t feel discouraged if it takes you a while to get them in; eventually it will become easy. The extra effort is worth it if it means not having to wear glasses anymore!

The most difficult part was learning to stop pushing my glasses ‘up,’ and some near misses where I almost poked my eyes unlearning that habit.

I considered it a miracle to be able to see 20/20 without my glasses almost instantly.

Seriously, like most things in life it all depends how badly you want something. For me, I was 11 and sick of being called 4 eyes. By then I had worn glasses for 8 years and my Rx was -7 or so very, very thick

I remember being creeped out by the thought of sticking a finger in my eye, and practiced (without actually touching my eyeball) in the days leading up to the appointment.

My fitting went very well, and I will never forget how happy I was that day, being able to see without the weight of glasses on my nose. Mind you, that was over 25 years ago, and soft contacts have come a long way.

I’m sure you will be amazed how they feel if you are able to insert them correctly. Just be patient with yourself and if your first fitting is too scary, try again. Also, if possible – try to schedule it for a time of day when you’ve been up for a few hours so that your eyes are no longer puffy, but also not tired and worn out. Good luck!

You don’t want to hear my answer, but unfortunately, I never got used to them, I never was able to wear them. Part of my issue was that I had an astigmatism and that is harder to address with contacts. Also, I could never figure out which way was inside out, it all seemed the same to me. I think it was just my issue though, and that most people get used to them quickly.

my mom has worn contacts for 6 months. When I’ve visited and walked into the bathroom right after she has “put them in”... I usually see at least one in the middle of the floor… she never has any idea she didn’t get it in. So apparently you really can’t feel them when they’re in… at all…

@wtfrickinfrack GA! I burst out laughing at your answer. Maybe because I see myself in it.

I never got used to them either. I finally gave up on wearing contacts after I left the third pair in a hotel water glass. I would go out of town on business and flying drys your eyes out so much you can’t stand the contacts so i would take them off the second I got to the hotel room. I would put them in a glass so i could start making phone calls, and then I would forget them.

I can remember the day I finally stopped trying to wear them. It was the feeling that I was thinking only that my eyes hurt; I was able to get no pleasure out of what should have been a lovely event.

It’s been glasses ever since; I too have the issue of astigmatism, and I’d rather see clearly and look cheerful than vice versa.

Once I dove into a swimming pool, forgetting that I had the lenses in. They floated away.

The most difficult part for me was finding the best brand for my eyes. If you start out, don’t get discouraged if it’s uncomfortable..because it might be a brand that’s just not right for you. I’ve been using the same brand since I started wearing contacts..geez, I think that was 6th grade. It might have been 8th. I got glasses in 5th grade though, couldn’t see the board and my eyesight got very bad very quickly.

I use ProClear and I LOVE them. I don’t really mind touching my eyes, I guess I was young and got over that pretty quickly. Most eye doctors insist on putting them in for you, which I absolutely hate. I still am not used to that part of the eye exam.

It gets easier with time. I rarely take my contacts out.

oh, my brother had issues sticking them in his eyes…so he got laser eye surgery.

@gailcalled @chyna Interesting that you both say you had unfortunate experiences with them and you both have astigmatisms. I have an astigmatisms as well (or that’s what I’ve been told by my mother).

Did you ever try using models specifically made for astigmatisms? I remember seeing at least AcuVue have “for astigmatisms” versions.

Thanks for the responses so far from everyone, regardless of your astigmatism status.

Also, anyone care to share what kind of money they spend on contacts? Do you pay for it all, do you have insurance that covers some/most?

@Sarcasm I have astigmatism as well. My contact brand is perfect for that. I tried the Accuview ones that for astigmatism as well, but they irritated my eyes.

I have state insurance, so glasses and contacts are not considered medically necessary…I understand the contacts part, but I guess they don’t realize people are almost blind without glasses.
So, depends on the brand you get. I just got six months worth and I believe it was less than 150, I think it was 140. It’s really not too bad. My insurance covers the contact fitting exam, which is just them measuring your eyes. I have unusually large pupils, so the ProClears I use are great for that as well.

I tried them for 6 months, and gave up.

i have been wearing contacts since i was 18, and now i’m 44. the difference between contacts when i was 18, which was early 80’s and now is like night and day. now contact lenses are so comfortable and easy to clean. for me, it took about a week or two to get into the habit of putting them in without being nervous, and without it being a big deal. as far as touching your eyes, it’s no different then when you touch your eyes when you rub them, like when you’re tired. it gets to be something you don’t think about, and you really just touch very briefly, because once the lens touches your eye, you remove your finger immediately.

i always advise people that you need a clean spot on your sink or countertop for the case – you need to keep the case clean, free of dust and dirt. i always rinse my case before putting the solution in, and in the morning i rinse it and leave it open to dry.

the nice thing about contacts is not only do you see better with them than you do with glasses, because the lens is right on your eye, not a little distance like an eyeglass lens, but in the summer you don’t feel so hot and clammy from having the eyeglasses resting on your nose and cheeks, and you don’t deal with fogging when you go from cold outside to hot inside.

i buy my lenses from costco – the one week kind which, if you clean them correctly last about 3 weeks. each box is about $15 for 6 lenses, which is 3 pairs. so $15 then lasts me 9 weeks. if one rips, you just take out a new one. if i travel i take the lens case, the solution, my eye glasses for when the lenses are out, and a spare contact lens just in case one rips or something happens to it.

i buy my solution from costco, also – the “no rub” kind. my health insurance pays me $50 per year for contacts, so i go to costco and buy 4 boxes and throw in an extra $10 for a total cost of $60, and those 4 boxes last me for a long time.

@jca makes a good point. I always tried to wear the hard ones. They were always torture

I tried the soft ones, but my eye was a bloody mess each morning after trying to jab them in my eyeball. Ok, I exaggerate, but you get the point. It was partly me and partly the doctor couldn’t find ones compatable to my eyes.

Gas perms.(hard) a week. soft 2–3 days/

i have always worn soft and i find the soft lenses now (in these modern times haha) are much better than the soft from 25 years ago. when i started wearing them, i would sit in a smoky bar with that delicious second hand smoke, and my eyes would get dry and itchy, or same thing if i was tired, and it was unbearable. now, the soft lenses feel totally non-existent.