If you’ve been wearing glasses for a while, you might have thought about giving contact lenses a go instead.

After all they’re more convenient in many ways, particularly if you live an active lifestyle or find glasses frustrating at times. Just like with anything new, you may find that contact lenses take a little bit of time to get used to, so here are some top tips to help make the transition as smooth as possible.

Choose the right lenses for you

There are several different types of contact lenses available, and the right ones for you will mainly depend on personal preference and your lifestyle. The main three varieties are:

• Daily disposable lenses – these are designed to be worn for one day and then discarded when you take them out. They have the advantage of not requiring any care or maintenance and having little chance of any deposits building up on them.
• Fortnightly or monthly lenses – these are designed to be worn during the day and stored in a cleaning solution overnight, then discarded after two weeks or a month. They have the advantage of being cheaper than daily disposables and are more environmentally friendly. You can also take them in and out during the day if necessary.
• Extended wear lenses – these are designed to be worn continuously for a certain amount of time, including overnight. They have the advantage of being extra convenient, but not everyone’s eyes can tolerate wearing contact lenses overnight.

Other types include colored contact lenses that can change the color of your eyes, and UV protection contact lenses that will protect your eyes from harmful UV radiation from the sun. The latter are particularly good if you spend a lot of time outdoors.

Learn how to take care of your lenses

Unless you are using daily disposable lenses, you will have to learn how to take care of your contacts to prolong their life and keep your eyes safe and healthy. Luckily, this is easy! You’ll need a case to keep them in when you’re not wearing them, which you should replace every 1-3 months. Rinse it out with your contact lens solution, not water, and never use water to clean your lenses as this can lead to eye infections.

Practice taking them in and out

This is the part that most people who are new to contact lenses dread, but it absolutely gets easier with practice. Just remember to wash your hands thoroughly before putting them in or taking them out, to decrease the risk of getting an eye infection. Using a mirror is very helpful, and it’s best to do it near a clean, flat surface in case you drop one of your lenses.

Listen to your eyes

If you ever find that your eyes are hurting, feeling sensitive, looking red or anything else unusual, take your contacts out and wear your glasses instead. It’s also important not to sleep in your lenses unless they are extended wear ones. Use eye drops if you find your eyes get dry when wearing contacts and try to take regular breaks when using a computer to prevent eye strain.