How to Tell Colored Contacts Are Inside Out

Colored contact lenses enhance or change the color of the wearer's eyes. These lenses are constructed of a soft, flexible material that molds to the shape of the eye. When removing the contact lenses, the wearer may inadvertently flip them inside out. Unfortunately, the appearance of the color of the lens will not help you to determine if the lens is inside out. Placing a contact lens on your eye while inside out will not cause harm to the eye, but it is uncomfortable. An inside-out contact lens will not sit still on the eye when blinking and may even pop out of the eye. If you suspect your contact lens is inside out, try these tricks before placing the lens in your eye.

Instructions

• 1

  Place the contact lens on the end of your finger as if you would put it in your eye. Hold the contact up and look at it from the side. If it forms a perfect cup shape, the contact is correctly oriented. If the edges of the contact lens flare outward, the contact is inside out.

• 2

  Hold the contact lens up to your eye and inspect the color of the edges. Some brands of contact lens have a handling tint that allows the contact to be seen in solution. The tint is usually blue or green. If the tint is easily visible around the edges, the contact is correctly oriented. If the tint is washed out or invisible, the contact is inside out.

• 3

  Pinch the contact lens between two fingers. If the contact curls into a taco-like shape, the contact is correctly oriented. If the contact lens flares outward toward your fingertips, the contact is inside out.

• 4

  Hold the contact lens up to your eye and look for the laser mark. Some brands of contact lens apply a laser mark, invisible once on the eye, but helpful in orienting the lens. According to the website All About Vision, one such laser mark is "123." If the numbers appear in the correct order, the contact is correctly oriented. If the numbers are reversed, the contact lens is inside out.