Contact Lens Insertion Tools

Several types of tools are made to help solve insertion and removal problems with contact lenses. Frustration can grow as you try to put your contact lens in time and time again and encounter a series of setbacks: your lens folds, sticks to your finger or falls and you drop it. Lenses can also feel stuck to the eye. Selecting the right tool makes insertion and removal of your contact lenses easier.

Insertion Tools for Rigid Lenses

• A contact lens insertion device, sometimes called a plunger or suction holder, can be used to put in and take out your gas permeable or rigid contact lenses. The small, plastic tool has suction cup on one end of the device. A variation of this style is a suction cup mounted at a 45-degree angle, which allows you to position your hand more comfortably when inserting and removing the lens. Your eye doctor can help you select the best style and teach you how to use the tool properly.

Insertion Tools for Soft Lenses

• A special insertion tool is available just for soft contact lenses. The handle is designed with gripper pads that align with the shape of your eye. The cup has indentations that hold the lens for accurate placement on your eye. Check with your eye care practitioner for help selecting the best type of insertion tool for your lenses.

Specialty Insertion Tools

• Soft and gas-permeable contact lenses are the most common types of contacts, but other specialty lenses require unique insertion tools. If you have very limited vision, also called low vision, a special insertion tool designed with a light, ergonomic grip helps with lens insertion and removal. Special lenses used to reshape the eye or prosthetics require very specific types of insertion tools, which are usually provided by the eye care practitioner when the lenses are dispensed.

Considerations and Warning

• Be sure to only put a contact lens insertion tool on the lens, never the surface of the eye. The tool can damage the cornea, the outer layer of the eye. Check with your eye care practitioner before using a plunger to make sure the tool is the proper type for your lens. Follow all instructions carefully.