If you’ve just been fitted for scleral lenses, you probably noticed they look surprisingly large compared to regular contacts. That’s because they are. Scleral lenses are rigid gas permeable lenses with a much wider diameter, designed to rest on the white part of the eye rather than sitting directly on your cornea. That gap between the lens and the cornea fills with saline solution, which can help keep your eye comfortable throughout the day.
Inserting scleral lenses takes a bit of practice, but once you learn the steps, it becomes a quick and manageable part of your routine. Fill the bowl of the lens with preservative-free saline, hold both eyelids wide open, and press the lens onto your eye while your face stays parallel to the floor.
The good news is that most people find their rhythm within the first week or 2 of practice.
Before You Insert: Prep Steps That Matter
Start With Clean Hands and a Clear Lens
Wash with a non-oily soap and dry off with a lint-free towel. Lotion-based soaps leave a residue that clouds the lens and can irritate your eye.
Hold the lens up to the light and look it over for chips, cracks, or cloudy film. Something looks off? Set it aside and call your optometrist instead of inserting it.
Avoid handling your lenses in the bathroom. Tap water carries microorganisms that can lead to serious eye infections, and bathrooms are humid environments where those risks multiply. A clean table or countertop away from the sink is a much safer spot.
Set Up Your Space Before You Touch a Lens
Lay a flat mirror face-up on the table and sit so you’re looking straight down into it. That angle keeps your face parallel to the floor, and it’s what stops the saline from pouring out of the lens on the way to your eye.
Draw a small dot in the center of the mirror with a dry-erase marker. Staring at it gives your eye a fixed point while your hands do the work.
Set your preservative-free saline within reach. Fumbling for the bottle with a filled lens balanced on your fingertips usually ends in a puddle.
2 Ways to Insert Scleral Lenses
Both methods work, so pick whichever feels more comfortable in your hands.
The Tripod Method
This method uses just your fingers. Balance the lens across the tips of your thumb, index finger, and middle finger, forming a stable tripod shape. Fill the bowl of the lens completely with preservative-free saline, making sure there are no air bubbles. Any air bubble trapped under the lens can blur your vision immediately after insertion.
- Hold the lens on your thumb, index, and middle fingers with the bowl filled with saline.
- Face parallel to the floor and use your free hand to hold your upper and lower eyelids wide open.
- Bring the lens to your eye steadily and press it gently against the sclera until it seats.
The Plunger Method
A small scleral lens plunger, sometimes called a DMV tool, can make insertion easier, especially when you’re first learning. Wet the tip, then suction the lens onto the plunger and fill the bowl with saline. Look straight down into your mirror, hold your lids open wide, and touch the lens to your eye. A light squeeze of the plunger releases it cleanly.
How to Remove Scleral Lenses Safely
Removal comes down to breaking the suction seal before you move anything.
With a Plunger
Position the plunger on the lower edge of the lens, not the center. Attaching it off-center gives you the leverage to tilt the lens gently up and out without dragging it across your cornea.
With Your Fingers
Press your lower eyelid firmly against the bottom edge of the lens to break the suction seal. Once the seal breaks, look downward and fold the lens off the surface of your eye. Don’t pull straight out, since that suction can make removal uncomfortable if you don’t break it first.
Caring for Scleral Lenses Between Wears
Right after removal, rub the lens gently with a multi-purpose solution designed for rigid lenses. This loosens any protein deposits or debris from the day. Then place the lens in a hydrogen peroxide-based solution for at least six hours. This solution thoroughly disinfects the lens.
Always rinse with preservative-free saline before reinserting, every single time. Hydrogen peroxide solution is not safe to put directly in your eye.
Habits That Keep Your Lenses Safe
Small routines protect your lenses between wears:
- Never use tap water at any point during lens care, not for rinsing, not for cleaning, not for storage.
- Remove your lenses before sleep, ideally about an hour before bed to give your eyes a chance to breathe.
- Replace your lens case every month to reduce the buildup of bacteria that even regular cleaning can miss.
If you notice persistent discomfort, foggy vision, or unusual redness, contact lens fogging can have several causes worth looking into before your next wear.
Make Scleral Lenses Feel Like Second Nature
Insertion gets easier with repetition, and 5 minutes of hands-on coaching can undo a habit that’s been slowing you down for weeks. Bring your lenses and your plunger to your next visit and run through the steps with someone watching.
The optometrists at Total Vision Culver City can review your technique and check how your lenses are sitting. Book an appointment and get your routine dialed in.
