# Inside out contact lens?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-out-contact-lens/169093>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 16, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-out-contact-lens/169093 "2003-04-16T15:45:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-out-contact-lens/169093/1 "2003-04-16T15:45:34Z")

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I just switched to soft lenses about 4 weeks ago after 30 years of hard ones. I have a feeling one of them is inside out but I can’t really tell. The doctor said if it’s shaped “like a salad bowl” then it’s right way out. But heck, it looks like a salad bowl even if I deliberately turn it! Is there a sure fire way to tell?

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**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-out-contact-lens/169093/2 "2003-04-16T16:01:24Z")

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When they’re inside out, the edges flare out a bit. So the center is bowl-shaped but at the edge it has a lip.

When they’re right side out, they look like a bowl all the way around.

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**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-out-contact-lens/169093/3 "2003-04-16T16:04:56Z")

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I wear disposable lenses, and it’s hell to figure out when they’re inside out. When I wore standard lenses, it was easy to see the bowl shape vs. the flared edges. The disposables are so thin, though, that really the only way to tell for sure is to put 'em in. If one feels uncomfortable, I’ll remove it, flip it, and try it that way.

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**Author:** ![roadrunner70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@roadrunner70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roadrunner70)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-out-contact-lens/169093/4 "2003-04-16T16:10:22Z")

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I have Accu-Vue lenses, and they actually have an AV stamped on the lens, which enables you to tell if if it’s inside out or not.

You can also do what they call the “taco test”, put the lens in the crease of your palm, and slowly close yourhand. Then lens should fold up like a taco. If it flares outwards, then it’s bassackwards.

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2003, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inside-out-contact-lens/169093/5 "2003-04-16T16:14:48Z")

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I had my Accuviews for a while before I notices the ‘AV’. The friggin’ doctor forgot to mention that to me, and I didn’t notice or understand the illustration on the box.

Take look at the box your lenses came in. Even if they aren’t Accuview, it might have a similar thing.