Monthly Archives: June 2012

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The Ins-and-Outs of Wearing Makeup With Contact Lenses

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Many people are concerned about wearing eye makeup once they begin using contact lenses. Rest assured, it’s fine to use makeup such as eyeliner or eye shadow with your contact lenses — as long as you are very careful not to get them in your eye, or on your lenses. Also, it’s a great idea to put your contact lenses in before you apply makeup so that your fingers don’t transfer makeup residue onto your lenses.

Also, keep in mind that cosmetics often grow bacteria, which can then contaminate your contact lens and infect your eye. So, it’s important to never share makeup! If makeup does get into your eye or onto your lens, it can result in eye irritation or introduce bacteria. Establish a healthy routine and stick to it – insert lenses before putting on makeup, or using hair products like mouse or gel. In the evening before bed, wash your hands well before you remove your lenses, and then clean, rinse and disinfect them before washing off your makeup. This will ensure that you don’t trap eye makeup on the surface of your contacts.

If you’re sensitive, some eye care professionals suggest using hypoallergenic cosmetics to lessen the risk of eye irritation or infection. Also, it’s good practice to cover your eyes when you apply hair spray – it contains proteins that can attach on to your contacts, compromising sight as well as irritating your eyes. To minimize the risk even further of getting makeup or other products on your contact lenses, use an oil-free moisturizer and do not use hand lotions or creams before handling your contacts. Most importantly, never share lenses, and never share makeup.

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Eye Allergies: How To Protect Your Eyes

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Most eye allergies are caused by plant pollen, so, as you can imagine they can be rather difficult to avoid. However, there are a few approaches that you can help you decrease and perhaps even improve your eye allergy symptoms:

  • Check out the pollen reports. Your weather channel or any weather Internet site will offer updates that give the pollen counts for your region. When you notice that pollen counts are particularly high, limit your time outdoors, if possible.
  • Have someone else cut your lawn. It may seem like an extravagance to have someone else take care of your yard, but if you are highly susceptible to spring allergies, this can be a very worthwhile measure to take.
  • Limit your exposure to wooded areas. The warm weather always beckons us outdoors, but especially when pollen counts are high, avoid wooded areas.
  • Shut your doors and windows and use your air conditioning. Keep in mind that even when you rely on air conditioning, if you are highly sensitive, you can still suffer because the allergens can circulate through your air conditioning system. If you’re noticing that having the air on is not helping, turn it off for the time being, and replace your filter.
  • Buy a HEPA high efficiency particulate air) filter. HEPA filter systems are extremely effective at eliminating allergens from the air in your home. If your eye allergies are really bad, this can be a great option!
  • Try an over-the-counter allergy medicine that will address your eye allergy symptoms. If you’re unsure of which one to get, consult the pharmacist. And, if over-the-counter is not going to cut it, make an appointment with your doctor to discuss your options to alleviate your eye allergies.
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Interesting Historical Facts About Contact Lenses

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The original idea for contact lenses dates all the way back to sketches created by the brilliant Leonardo da Vinci. Half a millennium ago, the genius inventor mapped out plans for altering the refractive power of the eye. Later on, others experimented with modifying refractive powers by looking through both glass and water. And, finally, 120 years ago, German inventors became the first to make a genuine contact lens that fitted on the eye. Those primitive contact lenses, called scleral lenses, were constructed of glass, and they draped over the sclera, or white part, of the eye, as well as covering the cornea.

Though we’ve come a long way from these more primitive models, these early models laid the groundwork for modern day contact lenses.

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How Are Contact Lenses Made?

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Contact lenses are made in a number of ways. Soft lenses are most often cast-molded – with this process, the polymer material that the lens is made out of is inserted (in liquid state) into a two-piece mold. Next, the two pieces are pressed together to set and form the lens diameter, curvature, power, and edge. Finally, the contacts are then allowed to cure, which brings them to a solid state, while still remaining soft and pliable. They are then stored in sterile solution that mimics human tears, and then they are wrapped in a plastic pack, and shipped out.

Soft lenses can also be cut in a solid state, and then hydrated afterwards. And a third technique is called spin-casting. In this process the polymer is spun into the needed shape and prescription, and then allowed to firm into a pliable, soft lens. When the process is complete, all soft lenses are composed 30% to 50% water.

Gas-permeable lenses are made a bit differently. First, the liquid lens material is solidified into rods, which are then cut down into buttons. Then the buttons are cut into finished lenses using a computer-lathe. This computer-aided process creates a gas-permeable lens that is custom-fitted to the exact curvature of the patient’s eyes.