STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Elle · Hermes

Contacts!

Starstuff · Kenneth Cole

I got contacts about 14 years ago and have been wearing them since (not the same pair, obv) It look a couple (2) weeks to get use to the sensation. It was very unpleasant -- but I had a lot of trouble putting them in each time and caused myself a lot of eye irritation. So, since you don't have that problem, it probably won't take a long for you to get use to them.

HeatherLynn · Gucci

It definitely takes awhile. I think I wore them for just a few hours the first day and then slowly increased to a full day. It's worth it in the long run, but I do remember be hating how they felt in the beginning.

XtinaStyles · Marc Jacobs

Ive been wearing them since high school so I don't even remember how I felt about them but they are a PITA compared to glasses. You will adjust and taking them in/out was the hardest for me.

I'm not sure about the blurriness though - my contacts are blurier than my glasses bc I have astigmatism.

Suasoria · Chanel

HeatherLynn wrote:

It definitely takes awhile. I think I wore them for just a few hours the first day and then slowly increased to a full day. It's worth it in the long run, but I do remember be hating how they felt in the beginning.

Ditto. It takes a few weeks, and it's good to work up to a full day. If after a few weeks you don't feel you're adjusting, ask the doctor if there's another brand you can try. There are subtle but sometimes meaningful differences.

I don't wear CLs every day any more, more like 3-4 days a week. Some days I can wear them all day, some days I feel like my eyes are rebelling and I need to take them out after 10-12 hours.

The soft lenses today are light-years ahead of the old-school hard lenses we used to wear - I think I got my first pair of contacts in 1984!

ETA: they're totally worth it, if nothing else than to just change your look. It's amazing how wearing contacts versus glasses impacts hair and makeup.

-- Edited by Suasoria on Wednesday 2nd of September 2009 11:47:57 PM

Boots · Gucci

I started wearing them in college (we're talking 15 years ago) and I remember it taking a while for me to get used to them. And over the years I've had my issues with them (eye infections, dry eyes, etc.) But I would never go back to glasses full time again. I love that I can see things better out of the corner of my eyes, I like that I can wear sun glasses without switching out my regular glasses and I think I look better in contacts.

A few years ago I started wearing disposable contacts and most of the problems I experienced disappeared. They just feel better in my eyes (since they are fresh lenses every 2 months.)

I wouldn't recommend every sleeping in your contacts, even the ones that are supposedly OK to sleep in. They dry your eyes out terribly. Just thought I'd pass that along since it's something my eye doctor never told me.

wetbandit42 · Marc Jacobs

Boots wrote:

I started wearing them in college (we're talking 15 years ago) and I remember it taking a while for me to get used to them. And over the years I've had my issues with them (eye infections, dry eyes, etc.) But I would never go back to glasses full time again. I love that I can see things better out of the corner of my eyes, I like that I can wear sun glasses without switching out my regular glasses and I think I look better in contacts.

I wouldn't recommend every sleeping in your contacts, even the ones that are supposedly OK to sleep in. They dry your eyes out terribly. Just thought I'd pass that along since it's something my eye doctor never told me.

Ditto about the issues with them. I have been wearing mine for six years now, and I still have problems with dry eyes/blurry vision. For a while I had a sort of infection caused by wearing them for too many hours each day. I don't think I've found the "right" contacts for me yet. But I do wear them more often than my glasses.

And yes, NEVER sleep in your contacts. You're smart Elle, so I highly doubt you'd do that, but a lot of people do. I told one of my friends (who sleeps in her contacts almost every night) that she could go blind, and she didn't believe me. Of course, there's a very small chance, but why risk it? When I had first gotten my contacts, I did sleep with them in a few times, and my eyes felt terrible the next day. I've learned my lesson!

Elle · Hermes

When I took them out yesterday, they were super dried out, so no wonder they felt gritty! The trials I have right now are just one-day-wear, but if the dryness continues I might ask to switch to a brand that is supposed to stay moister specifically - I had alot of trouble driving with them because the AC was on and made the dryness worse. Squirting eyedrops in your eyes every 30 minutes is just not practical!

I wore them around yesterday with the big earrings I've abandonned since wearing glasses full time. Yay pretty earrings! But my face felt sorta naked - I kept reaching up to adjust my glasses even though they weren't there ...

I actually got new glasses and new sunglasses as well, so I'm all set with eyewear options now! I haven't had sunglasses for 3 years!

-- Edited by Elle on Thursday 3rd of September 2009 10:38:22 AM

Starstuff · Kenneth Cole

Elle wrote:

I actually got new glasses and new sunglasses as well, so I'm all set with eyewear options now! I haven't had sunglasses for 3 years!

-- Edited by Elle on Thursday 3rd of September 2009 10:38:22 AM

Yay! I know that (for me) being able to wear off-the-rack sunglasses is one of the biggest advantages of CL's. I wear Acuvue Adance with Hydraclear by Johnson and Johnson and I find them very easy to wear -- very "moist", and don't dry out my eyes unless I leave them in for 14-16 hrs. HTH

Boots · Gucci

AC and the car heater also dries out my eyes. I usually put the controls to cool/heat the floors up and on the passenger side of the car only. This does the trick for me.

The good definitely out weights the bad with contacts in my experience. Give yourself some time to adjust.

Tati · Chanel

Starstuff wrote:
I wear Acuvue Adance with Hydraclear by Johnson and Johnson and I find them very easy to wear -- very "moist", and don't dry out my eyes

Ditto! I love this brand! a little more expensive but so worth it. Others tend to dry out my eyes and these last longer

jrhampt · Kenneth Cole

I have Acuvue Oasys with Hydraclear, which I think might be a step up from the Advance. They're WAYYYY better than any I'd had before. Huge difference when you go to a more permeable lens. Don't be afraid to try a few different brands, like others have said.

stardust · Kenneth Cole

I agree re trying different brands. Some work a lot better than others and it can be very individual. Also if you live in a dry climate- try asking about tear duct plugs- sound awful but they are tiny plugs that an optometrist/opthalmologist can put in that reduces the amount your tears drain away and make your eyes feel a lot more comfortable and less dry.

Elle · Hermes

I really appreciate the brand recs - they're actually the very same brand recs I've gotten from some IRL friends, so I'll be asking for them when I go back for my follow-up next week!

Stardust - I didn't know you could get tear duct plugs for that! Do you have them? I don't plan on wearing the CLs all the time though (and it's also 91% humidity here right now) ..

stardust · Kenneth Cole

Yes I have the tear duct plus- freaked me out at first just the thought but they are tiny, invisible and painless and quick to have put in. I was suffering from dry eye with my contacts and living in very dry climate. The whole opthalmologist clinics staff had them. Mine have stayed put- I think if you rub your eyes super hard a lot you can have one come out but I rub my eyes and never had a problem. Definitely made my eyes feel moister.

It is worth asking about if you continue to have issues. Some people just have tendency to get dry eyes.

Hope you get used to them- I love mine now but at first my contacts felt weird.

Suasoria · Chanel

How is it going with the lenses now? Are they still bothering you?

Elle · Hermes

After those initial trials I tried the Oasys ones, and despite great expectations they were horrid in my eyes. The edges rolled so bad it felt like someone was using their fingernails to pry my lower lids open - I could never keep them in more than 10 minutes, all of which I spent staring at the mirror trying not to look around too much. Third try was a kind that's technically approved for overnight wear, and they're better. I still get a bit of edge roll with them but it's bearable, they don't dry out as much, and they pop in and out easily.

I haven't really been wearing them, because they aren't as common a brand and are therefore expensive. I also find them a little annoying to have to deal with on a day-to-day basis (making sure I have my case and drops and backup glasses, etc) and haven't really had a special occasion for wearing them yet. I'm glad they're there in case I want to wear them though

.

Thanks for asking!

Miss Mabel · Kenneth Cole

Oh, this is such a bummer that you didn't have a better experience. cry

I've worn contacts for 15 years and have never had the dryness issues you described except with lenses (one pair) that weren't a good match for my eyes. And I have never ever had a problem with rolling -- that doesn't seem right at all.

Everyone's eyes are different, but you may want to talk to your doc about how "breathable" your lenses are. I think my doc told me that lens is not a good fit for you if you can't wear it at least 8 hours. I can wear mine all day, every day, with no problems. And I know that is partially because I am lucky and my eyes are very tolerant, but still.

For what it's worth, I wear Bausch and Laumb Criterion Toric lenses. (I have a pretty bad astigmatism)

Elle · Hermes

I know! I was sorta bummed it didn't end up being easier, too. It took more than 6 weeks to get these that work alright (and something like 8 appointments) and I really didn't have time to keep up with that now that school's back in. That and the girls that work in the office there were being complete beyotches to me, which didn't exactly make me want to go back!

I'm going to try and start wearing them more, hoping I'll just get used to feeling them. They are pretty permeable though since I could wear them overnight if I wanted - are there some that are more permeable than that?

-- Edited by Elle on Monday 26th of October 2009 11:21:35 AM