You know when you take your contacts out, either to clean them because something got under them or because it’s the end of the day? You may have noticed little lines in the contacts. If your contact was bothering you, it’d be natural to assume that these lines are scratches and that you should toss out your old pair and trade them in for something new. However, it’s perfectly normal for contact lenses to have lines on them!

This probably isn’t something that your eye doctor told you about, unless you specifically asked about it or this is a new type of lens for you. And truthfully, it’s not something that affects how your contacts work for you either. 

Here, we’ll go into why your contacts have lines on them. We’ll also touch on how to tell whether or not your contacts have been scratched, so that you can better distinguish between normal lines and concerning scratches. Let’s get into it!

What Are Those Lines On My Contact Lenses?

These are called scribe marks. They’re used with toric contact lenses, which are specially made in order to correct astigmatism (which is when either the cornea of your eye or the lens in it isn’t smooth and with an equal curve, causing blurry vision). 

Do All Contacts Have Lines On Them?

No, they don’t! Toric contact lenses are different from standard contact lenses. They’re specially designed to treat astigmatism. So, if you read the title of this blog and were confused because your contacts don’t have lines on them, this is probably because you have standard contact lenses. 

What Do The Lines On My Contact Lenses Do?

Now that we’ve gone over why your toric contact lenses have lines on them, let’s touch on what exactly the purpose of these lines is. Basically, because toric lenses are meant to sit a specific way on your eye, they are weighted and shaped in a way where they can sit on your eye as they should and where it’s obvious to tell whether or not they are inside out before you put them in. 

Enter in scribe marks. These don’t serve a purpose to you and they don’t affect your vision. They’re not something that you’ll notice while you’re wearing your contact lenses. What these do is show your eye doctor whether or not your contact lenses are oriented properly on your eyes. 

How Do You Know If Your Contacts Have Lines Or Are Scratched?

If you don’t know what scribe marks are and you haven’t really paid too much attention to them, it’s only natural that you might assume that the scribe marks are scratches. 

Now, usually if you have toric contact lenses, this is something that your eye doctor should have informed you about. But if you started wearing contacts when you were young and your parents did all the talking to your eye doctor, you may not have been paying attention when they were talking about it or you may not have retained the information. As such, this may be news to you. 

It could also be the case that even if you know you have toric contact lenses, you don’t know about the scribe marks or what they do. It’s a commonly asked question for a reason!

How To Tell If They Are Scribe Marks

Scribe marks are very specific, uniform lines on your contacts. They can be oriented in multiple different ways, depending on your needs. While you can see them when your contacts are out, they don’t affect your vision. They don’t irritate your eyes. There’s no need to worry about them hurting your eyes or anything, as their purpose is to help eye doctors ensure that your contacts are situated correctly.

How To Tell If They Are Scratched

Scratches, on the other hand, are not uniform or specific. You may notice tears on the edges or cracks along the dome of the lens. In some cases, you won’t be able to feel if your contact is scratched, while in others, it could irritate your eyes. If your contact is scratched, throw it away and replace it with a new one. Scratched contact lenses cannot be fixed and can cause infection and corneal abrasions if you continue to wear them.

So, if the lines look intentional and too clean to be what you’d think a scratch would be, they are likely scribe marks. You can always call your eye doctor if you’re unsure, as the last thing you want to do is put a scratched lens on your eye. If your contact is ripped or torn at all, replace it right away. 

Do You Need Contact Lenses?

Wolcott Optical provides corrective lenses ranging from glasses to prescription sunglasses to contact lenses. Contact us today to learn more about the services we provide and how we can help your vision be as clear as possible!

When you wear contact lenses, it’s crucial to ensure that you’re taking all the proper precautions to protect your eyes. Since contact lenses rest right on your eyes, as opposed to glasses with their lenses at a distance, this means that you need to be extra careful when it comes to hygiene, wear, and replacement. Improper use of contact lenses can result in eye infections, which no one wants.

Fortunately, you can protect your eyes from the risk of infection while wearing contact lenses. Here are some helpful safety tips to help all of your contact lens wearers out there keep your eyes safe.

#1. Don’t Sleep In Your Contact Lenses

Unless your eye doctor specifically recommends it! Some contact lenses are designed to be worn overnight in order to change the curvature of your cornea. This is called Ortho-K (orthokeratology), and is used to reduce nearsightedness. These contacts are only worn at night and then removed during the day. There are also lenses for extended wear, which may be worn overnight.

However, unless you’re prescribed these special lenses, you want to avoid sleeping or napping in your contact lenses. This is because it makes you 8x more likely to get an eye infection. If you want to take a nap or it’s time for bed, ensure that you take your contacts out first in order to protect your eyes.

#2. Keep Your Contacts Away From Water

This applies to many different facets of your life. From swimming to showering to cleaning and storing your contact lenses, keep them far, far away from water. The reason for this is that water has microorganisms in it which can lead to serious eye infections. This is also why it’s recommended that you don’t open your eyes underwater as a general rule. 

In order to protect your eyes, remove your contact lenses before swimming or showering or the like. Ensure that you are cleaning and storing your contact with a contact lens disinfecting solution – never water.

#3. Keep Your Contacts Clean

There are a few steps to this. First of all, you want to wash your hands before handling your contacts. Then, you want to rub and rinse your contacts with an appropriate contact lens solution after you take them out. Then, you want to ensure that you put them in a clean case with fresh solution in it. You never want to top off old solution or put your contacts into a case that hasn’t been cleaned. 

You also want to ensure that you’re only using the contact lens solution recommended by your eye doctor to clean your lenses – no water, no soap, none of that.

You should replace your contact case every three months, at least. Basically, whenever you run out of your bottle of solution, you should get a new case. Most solutions come with a new case, but not all of them do. 

#4. Take Them Out If Your Eyes Are Irritated

You know how when you get contact lenses, your eye doctor will typically recommend that you get a pair of glasses too? This is to give your eyes a break to prevent overuse of your contacts, to give you the option to switch between contacts and glasses as desired, and to give you a backup in case something happens to your contacts. You should carry your glasses with you in case you need to take your contacts out.

If your eyes are getting red or irritated, don’t leave your contacts in, as this can make it worse. Indeed, if your contacts are dirty or something gets trapped under them, like an eyelash, the contacts themselves could be causing the irritation. Make the switch to your glasses. Contact your eye doctor if the irritation persists. 

#5. See Your Eye Doctor As Needed

Your eye doctor will be able to answer any questions you have about contact lens care to protect your eyes. They’ll also examine them to ensure that they’re healthy and update your prescription if needed. 

If you have any eye pain, discomfort, or blurry vision, you’ll want to talk to your eye doctor. Your eye doctor may have you try out a few different brands of contact lenses to find which one works best for you. One brand may irritate your eyes while another may feel like there’s nothing there. 

These are but 5 safety tips you can use to protect your eyes while wearing contact lenses. Wolcott Optical is passionate about helping our customers achieve clear vision, safely. Contact us today for more information about contact lenses and glasses.