First Time Wearing Contact Lenses? Here Is What You Need to Know Before You Start
Contact lenses are a practical and liberating alternative to glasses, but for most first-time wearers the idea of putting something directly on the eye feels daunting before they have done it. This guide walks you through the fitting process, how to insert and remove lenses at home, and what to expect during the first few weeks of wear.
What happens at a contact lens fitting
A contact lens fitting is a separate, dedicated appointment from a standard eye exam. It covers more than your prescription and typically takes 45 to 60 minutes.
- Eye health check and prescription review. The optometrist confirms your eyes are suitable for lens wear
- Corneal measurement. The size and shape of the front of the eye is assessed to determine the correct lens dimensions
- Trial lens selection. A trial pair is chosen based on your prescription and measurements
- Insertion with guidance: you try inserting the lenses with the optometrist present to help with technique
- Fit and vision assessment. The optometrist checks the lenses sit correctly and move naturally with each blink
- Removal practice. You practise taking the lenses out before you leave, and receive instruction on your wearing schedule and care routine
Daily or monthly: which lenses suit you
The right replacement schedule depends on how often you plan to wear lenses and how much maintenance you want to manage.
| Lens type | Best suited to | Maintenance | Cost consideration |
| Daily disposable | New wearers, occasional use, sport, travel | None. Dispose after each use | Higher per lens, lower overall if worn infrequently |
| Fortnightly | Regular wearers wanting a middle ground | Nightly cleaning and storage | Moderate |
| Monthly | Daily wearers comfortable with a care routine | Nightly cleaning and monthly replacement | Lower per lens at high frequency |
Your optometrist determines the best option at the fitting based on your prescription, lifestyle and eye health.
How to insert contact lenses
Most people need a few attempts in the first days before insertion starts to feel natural. The instinct to blink or pull away is natural and reduces quickly with practice.
- Wash and dry your hands thoroughly with soap and a lint-free towel
- Remove the lens from the blister pack and place it on the tip of your index finger
- Check the orientation.The lens should form a smooth bowl shape. If the edges flare outward, flip it over
- Pull your lower eyelid gently down with the middle finger of the same hand
- Use the index finger of your other hand to hold your upper eyelid open
- Look upward and place the lens gently onto the lower white part of the eye
- Release both eyelids slowly and blink a few times to centre the lens
- Check that your vision is clear before moving to the second eye
How to remove contact lenses
Removal is typically easier than insertion once you have the technique.
- Wash and dry your hands before handling lenses
- Look upward and pull your lower eyelid down with your middle finger
- Slide the lens down to the white part of the eye using your index finger
- Pinch the lens gently between your thumb and index finger and lift it away
- Dispose of daily lenses immediately; clean and store reusable lenses in fresh solution
A contact lens cannot travel behind the eye. If a lens shifts to the side, it stays on the surface and is always within reach.
Caring for reusable lenses
Hygiene is the most important factor in keeping your eyes healthy with monthly or fortnightly lenses.
- Clean lenses with multipurpose solution after each removal. Never use tap water or saliva
- Rub the lens gently in your palm with solution before rinsing, even if the label says no-rub
- Store lenses in a fresh solution every night. Never top up old solution
- Replace your lens case every three months
- Do not sleep in lenses unless your optometrist has approved extended-wear lenses
- Remove lenses before swimming, showering or using a spa pool
- Insert lenses before applying makeup and remove lenses before removing makeup
What normal comfort looks like and when to stop
There is a difference between the awareness of a lens in the first days of wear, which is normal, and symptoms that indicate a problem.
| Normal during adjustment | Remove lenses and contact the optometrist |
| Mild awareness of the lens on insertion | Persistent pain or sharp discomfort that does not settle |
| Slightly longer time needed for insertion or removal | Significant redness that remains after removing the lens |
| Minor blurring that clears after a few blinks | Blurred vision that persists or worsens during wear |
| Light sensitivity that reduces over the first week | Sudden increase in light sensitivity, particularly in one eye |
| Eyes feeling more tired than usual at day's end | Discharge, crusting or a sticky sensation |
Frequently asked questions
Can I wear contact lenses if I have astigmatism? Toric contact lenses are designed specifically to correct astigmatism. Your optometrist assesses suitability at the fitting and selects the appropriate lens type for your prescription.
Do I need a separate prescription for contact lenses? A spectacle prescription and a contact lens prescription are different documents. The fitting appointment generates your contact lens-specific prescription, which accounts for lens dimensions and corneal shape, not just corrective power.
What if I cannot get the lens in during the fitting? The optometrist expects this and provides guidance throughout. If more practice time is needed, a follow-up session is scheduled as a normal part of the fitting process. Most people become comfortable with the process within a few visits.
How long can I wear contact lenses each day? Most soft lenses are approved for 8 to 12 hours of daily wear. Your optometrist sets a wearing schedule at the fitting based on your lens type and how your eyes respond. Follow that schedule rather than extending wear based on comfort alone.
A contact lens fitting at Groovy Glasses covers everything in this guide, with an optometrist present to guide you through insertion and removal before you leave. Book a contact lens fitting
Dry Eye in New Zealand: Why It Is More Common Than Most People Realise
Dry eye affects approximately 20% of New Zealand adults, making it one of the most prevalent eye conditions in the country. What makes that figure significant is not just its size, but the gap beneath it: a large proportion of people with measurable dry eye signs have never been diagnosed, because their symptoms point them toward other explanations. Understanding what dry eye actually is, and why it so often goes unrecognised, is the first step toward managing it properly.
What dry eye actually is
Dry eye is a condition where the tear film fails to keep the surface of the eye adequately lubricated. This happens in one of two ways: either the eye produces too few tears (known as aqueous tear deficiency), or tears evaporate too quickly because the oil layer that seals the tear film is thin or inconsistent. The second type, evaporative dry eye, is caused by meibomian gland dysfunction, where the small oil-producing glands along the eyelid margins become blocked or underperform. Both types can occur together, and both respond differently to treatment, which is why an accurate assessment matters more than self-managing with drops alone.
Symptoms that are easy to overlook
Dry eye symptoms are frequently attributed to tiredness, screen use or seasonal allergies, which is one of the main reasons the condition goes undiagnosed for so long. The symptoms themselves are often intermittent, which makes it easy to dismiss them as temporary.
Common symptoms include:
- A gritty or sandy sensation in the eye
- Burning or stinging
- Blurred or fluctuating vision, particularly toward the end of the day
- Light sensitivity
- Redness of the eye or eyelids
- A feeling that something is caught in the eye
- Excessive watering or teary eyes
- Discomfort or reduced tolerance when wearing contact lenses
The watery eye symptom is worth pausing on. Excessively teary eyes are often seen as the opposite of dry eye, but they can be a direct response to it. When the ocular surface becomes irritated from an unstable tear film, the eye produces a flood of reflex tears in response. Those tears do not have the same protective quality as a stable tear film and do not resolve the underlying problem.
How common is dry eye in New Zealand
Around one in five New Zealand adults lives with dry eye, but the true burden of the condition is likely broader than that figure captures. Research from the New Zealand National Eye Centre at the University of Auckland found that clinical signs of dry eye were present in almost half of a cohort of 45-year-old New Zealanders, yet only 9% of participants met the full diagnostic criteria for dry eye disease. A further 37% had measurable ocular surface changes with no symptoms at all.
That gap between signs and symptoms is clinically significant. It means a substantial number of people are experiencing changes to their tear film and ocular surface without yet feeling them clearly enough to seek help. By the time symptoms become persistent, the condition has often been progressing for some time.
Dry eye is not confined to older adults. Research from the same group shows that clinical signs of meibomian gland dysfunction begin to appear in people as young as their mid-30s, with tear film instability and other dry eye markers typically emerging between the ages of 33 and 38. For people in that age group who spend long hours on screens, the risk is compounded further.
Why New Zealand creates the right conditions for dry eye
Several environmental and lifestyle factors that are particularly common in New Zealand contribute to dry eye. Some are modifiable, some are not, but all are worth understanding.
Screen time and reduced blinking
When a person focuses on a screen, the blink rate drops from a typical 15 to 17 blinks per minute to as few as 5 to 7. Each blink spreads the tear film across the ocular surface, so a reduced blink rate accelerates evaporation and destabilises the tear film. This applies equally to phones, tablets, computers and televisions. It affects children and younger adults as much as older populations and is one of the key reasons dry eye is no longer a condition associated primarily with age.
The Canterbury climate and the nor'west wind
The Canterbury nor'wester is a hot, dry foehn wind that strips moisture from the air and significantly accelerates tear evaporation from the ocular surface. Combined with Christchurch's already variable humidity and strong UV exposure, the regional climate creates conditions that worsen dry eye symptoms and can trigger flare-ups in people who are otherwise well-managed. For Cantabrians, seasonal changes in wind and temperature are a genuine contributing factor to how their eyes feel day to day.
Indoor environments
Heating systems, heat pumps and air conditioning all reduce ambient humidity, which speeds up tear film evaporation. Open-plan offices with centralised climate control are a particularly relevant environment, as employees spend extended hours in low-humidity conditions while simultaneously using screens. The combination of both factors in a single environment creates a meaningful cumulative effect on the tear film.
Contact lens wear
Contact lenses sit directly on the tear film and can disrupt its stability and rate of evaporation. People who wear lenses and find they become uncomfortable toward the end of the day, or who notice their tolerance for lenses has reduced over time, may be experiencing dry eye rather than a problem specific to their lens brand or type. A dry eye assessment can clarify whether the ocular surface is a contributing factor before any decision is made to change lenses. The Groovy Glasses contact lenses page covers fitting and lens options in more detail.
Hormonal changes and medications
Dry eye is more prevalent in women, and the risk increases during perimenopause and menopause when declining oestrogen levels affect both the quantity and quality of tear production. Several commonly used medications also contribute to dry eye, including antihistamines, antidepressants, some blood pressure medications and oral contraceptives. People taking any of these who experience eye discomfort should raise it at their next eye exam, as medication-related dry eye often requires a tailored management approach.
Who is at higher risk
Some risk factors for dry eye are modifiable, others are not. Knowing which category applies helps in understanding both the likely cause and the most useful management approach.
| Risk factor | Why it matters |
| Age over 40 | Each decade of life is associated with a 25% increase in the odds of developing dry eye |
| Female sex | Hormonal changes during menopause and from contraceptive use affect tear production and quality |
| East Asian ethnicity | Identified as a significant non-modifiable risk factor in New Zealand and international research |
| Contact lens wear | Lenses disrupt the tear film and can accelerate evaporation over the course of the day |
| Extended screen use | Reduces blink rate, increasing tear film evaporation |
| Antihistamines or antidepressants | These medications reduce aqueous tear production |
| Thyroid disease | Associated with meibomian gland dysfunction in New Zealand research |
| Rheumatological conditions | Including Sjögren syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis, which reduce tear secretion |
| Low-humidity environments | Air conditioning, heating and wind all accelerate evaporation from the tear film |
Why dry eye so often goes undiagnosed
Dry eye signs can be present and measurable before symptoms become obvious or consistent. As noted above, New Zealand research found that 37% of a representative cohort had ocular surface disease with no symptoms at all. For those who do experience symptoms, the most common response is to attribute them to tiredness, allergies or screen use and manage them with over-the-counter eye drops. Drops can relieve discomfort temporarily but do not address the underlying cause, and because the two main types of dry eye require different approaches, using the wrong treatment does little to slow the progression of the condition.
What a dry eye assessment involves
A dry eye assessment goes beyond what a standard eye exam covers. The optometrist evaluates the quality and stability of the tear film, the function of the meibomian glands in the eyelids, and the condition of the ocular surface for signs of damage or inflammation. The aim is to identify which type of dry eye is present before recommending a management plan, because aqueous deficiency and evaporative dry eye respond to different treatments.
Book an eye exam at Groovy Glasses