At first I was able to get these blasted things in just fine … at first being while I was still at the Doctor’s office. Anymore now it seems I ALWAYS get an air bubble under them, or if they go in fine, after a minute or so my eyes will begin to water uncontrollably, I start to blink n blink and eventually the blasted thing is crinkled up on my eyelash. Siiiiigh.
Any magical tips? I’m about to stick with my glasses. I go back to the Doc next week.
From your description, they sound like your average soft contact.
Check the contact before you put it in - if the outer edges flare out, it’s inside out. When I first started wearing contacts, they told me it shoudl look like a cup sitting on your finger.
Place 1 drop of your solution into the contact before you put it in - I’ve found that this helps the contact “stick” to my eye.
Don’t put on any eye makeup until after the contacts are in - little flakes of mascara or other makeups can get onto your contact when you’re inserting them. This irritates your eye, makes you blink more and perhaps rub, and you end up with crinkled contacts on your eyelashes.
Finally, remember, this takes practice - I’ve been wearing contacts almost exclusively for 11 years, and I still have one of those problems occasionally. Don’t stress if it doesn’t go in the first time - eventually you’ll be able to pop them in almost without thinking about it.
Seriously consider laser surgery
(d&r…)
Well said, Lsura. To add a couple points:
I rinse the lens a bit before insertion. This is just to make sure that no invisible lint got stuck onto it between the lens case & my eye.
Also make sure that the lens is firmly suctioned against your eye before you blink - what Lsura said about putting a drop of solution on the lens before insertion is helpful.
Don’t give up yet! It takes a while to get used to contacts, but I’ve been wearing them for about eight years & can say from experience that they’re very liberating.
When I first got my contacts I was having enormous amouts of trouble getting them in. They had me switch which eye I tried to put on first. I dunno why it worked but it worked like a charm. This may not fix your problem but could be worth a shot.
Part of the problem could be the technique that you use to put the contacts in. If you are putting in the right contact, and have it on your right index finger and are holding your eye open with only the left hand, the eye may not be open enough. Try putting the contact on right middle finger, using left hand to hold top eyelid open and use right ring finger to hold lower lid open and then put in lens. Reverse procedure for the left eye.
I’ve been wearing contacts now for 6 years, and that’s how I put my lenses in. The only time they come out is if I pull them out or if the lense was in backwards. (With the eye being really wide open, it helps the contact adhere to stay in.)
Also, to tell if your contact is right side out–place the contact on finger like you would insert it into eye. Take index finger and thumb from opposite hand and place on edges of the contact. If it curls up like and looks like a very tiny taco, its right. If it doesn’t (if it crinkles, buckles, etc), it’s inside out.
Finally, make sure your hands are clean and that the contact has been rinsed with fresh solution. I’ve had problems before with eyelashes being stuck on my contacts when I take them out, or sometimes cat hair being on my hands. So that could cause discomfort
Thanks all for your comments. I do know that the contacts are not going in inside out, since they have a letter I can see on them to tell me which way is in versus out. 
Thanks ghandi for the description of holding your eye open. That’s actually what I do, or try to do anyway. That alone takes some coordination and practice. :lol:
Think I’ll give it a go with Lsura’s suggestion of adding a drop of solution before it goes in. That seems to be the one thing I have not tried yet.
Thanks again!
Years ago, I worked as an assistant to an Optometrist. One of my jobs was to show folks how to insert and remove contacts.
It sounds like the problem is definitely that lil’ air bubble that you’re not getting out before you start to blink. Once you’ve got the contact relatively secure on your eye, pull your eyelid out and over your eye, so that your eye is closed. Gently rub over your eye, where the contact is underneath… you’ll hear the bubble pop, probably. When you open your eye, the contact should be firmly in place.
Give it a shot!! Good luck.
I find that my error rate decreases a lot when the position of each eye is off center prior to popping on each lens. Just moving the eye a few degrees towards the corresponding ear seems to allow better initial contact and staying power.
I always put a drop of solution into each lens prior to insertion as well.
If you find that your lenses are not quite comfortable during the next month or two, consider asking your eye doc to prescribe a different brand. I went from Acuvue to Ocular Sciences UltraFlex with excellent results.
Second Geoduck’s recommendation of trying a different brand. It’s worth trying out a few different brands of contact lense before settling on the ones you want. They’re not all the same. I tried three brands before settling on the lense that suits me.
My optician even gave me free two week trials of each type of lense. Tried them all over a two month period then went somewhere else cheaper. 
I’ve been wearing contacts for a few months now, and I’m very happy with them. But the optometrist’s assistant only showed me how to use the No Rub contact solution, and at six bucks a bottle, that’s pretty expensive. Is there a pressing reason that I should be using only that stuff? And what’s the procedure for using the regular, discount solution?
MrVisible (great name for this thread!), I use an expensive contact solution for storing my lenses and cheap saline solution for rinsing them.
My contact solution costs about $A20 for 2.5 bottles. Saline is a couple bucks for a big ol’ bottle.
A friend of mine uses saline solution for both storing and rinsing her lenses, but this doesn’t work for me. YMMV.
I like using disposable contacts. With them, you don’t need to worry about cleaning them at all. Just toss them after one use.
Much easier. Of course, I don’t wear them that often, so price isn’t much of an issue for me. It could add up if you wear them every day. ABout a buck a pair they cost.
Nothing to add on getting contacts in, but something useful I found for getting them out. I used to tear a lens or more a month until I started putting a drop of rewetting solution in right before poppin’ 'em out. Since I started doing this, I haven’t torn one.
I second that thought. Also there are a lot of crappy eye doctors out there. My sister had trouble with contacts for years, until she finally found a good doctor who noticed that she had small eyes and needed a small diameter contact, something that no other doctor had noticed before. They work great for her now.
Other random tips. If you are cutting hot peppers(say up till jalepeno) make sure you wash your hands immediatly, or you might reach in to play with your contact, which can get the hot oil into the contact, and you will probably never get it out. If cutting really hot peppers(habanero, scotch bonnet) use rubber gloves. No amount of washing will get all of the oil off, and even the slightest bit will hurt like hell.
I’ve never worn soft lens, but I’ve worn hard and gas/perm for 30 years. Jeeze, I 've done everthing for 30 years. Anyway, there has been a lot of good advice already.
But most important, don’t give up! Many people get so discouraged in the begining, that they end up putting the lens in a drawer before they have given themselves enough time to get used to it.
And if it doesn’t seem to get better, go back to the doctor, and have them fix the lens and/or give you some more instruction.
Mr. Visible–
Most eye doctors (I cannot spell out that o-word for eye doctor) will give out the No-Rub solution with the lenses. And it is expensive. I like the No-Rub solution to store my lenses. However, I buy the cheapest no rub stuff I can find–Solo makes a great one (at about $3 a bottle). http://www.softcontactlenses.com/homepage/Solocare/Solocare.html
The site actually has a coupon for a free bottle! Woohoo! (I’m super happy now.)
Another thing that I’ve found is that my eyes are too sensitive to use the no rub stuff when I actually put in my lenses. So I buy a generic multi-purpose but no rub solution to use when I put my contacts in. Just pull the lenses out of the case, rinse with multipurpose solution, put in…then take out, put in case with no rub solution.
Actually, Alton Brown of the Good Eats show on the Food network claims that the above is the exact reason he can no longer wear contacts.
Thanks for the tips, everyone.
I think it’s best–if you cook with a lot of peppers–to keep some rubber surgical gloves in the kitchen to chop them up, since it’s not only the eyes you need to worry about, but other sensitive bits, if you know what I mean, and I think you do. Take my word for it. 
Yesterday, when I first read this thread I had no idea how I put my contacts (soft, disposable monthly) in. This morning I paid attention. I take a couple drops of saline and rub the lens about 20 times to make sure it’s clean, and rinse it well. This is all post shower so my hands are also clean. I stick the lens onto my pointer, pull down my eyelid with my middle finger, and put the lens on my eyeball. The lens is going on more from the bottom of my eye than directly into it, which I think may alleviate the chances of air bubbles forming under it. If I have problems I take the lens out, rinse it, and try again.
Some people do have problems adjusting to contact lenses; I wasn’t one of them, but like others have said don’t give up on them. Peripheral vision is awesome.
Thanks **elephant shoes ** I had started doing the eye rubbing thing hoping that would help. I remember the optomitrist doing it as well. Another tip to add to my struggle.
Thanks also Geoduck this is actually the second brand I’ve tried so far. When they are in, they are perfectly comfortable, so I did like that part. Unfortunately I’ve only been able to successfully get them in, and have them stay in, 3 times in 7 days.
Sounds to me like I’ve just got to be patient. I’m due back for an appointment to talk about the fit, and go back for a contact lense 101 talk. They did kinda rush me outta there when I first got them. Might of had to something to do with catching a plane. 
I’ll practice a little patience for now!