Trying contact lenses for the first time is a process, not a quick swap from glasses. At Pierre van Ryneveld Optometrist, the fitting usually starts with an eye examination and ends only after the optometrist is satisfied with your vision, comfort and the way the lenses fit on your eyes.
Contact lenses for beginners: at a glance
First, the optometrist determines the prescription and considers your eye history and visual needs. A suitable trial lens is selected, you learn how to insert and remove it, and then wear it at or around the practice for about two hours. The optometrist reviews the vision, fit and any complaints. If the lens is suitable, you usually wear trial lenses for about two weeks before the final supply is ordered. If it is not, a different lens or prescription adjustment is considered.
Why a contact-lens fitting is different from a glasses eye test
Glasses sit in front of the eyes. Contact lenses sit directly on the front surface of the eye, so the lens power is only one part of the decision. The optometrist also considers how the lens sits and moves on the eye, how it affects vision and whether it remains comfortable over time.
That is why a glasses prescription is not automatically a final contact-lens prescription. A contact-lens fitting takes additional time and includes trial lenses and follow-up.
Step 1: The eye examination and your visual history
Your appointment starts by establishing the prescription needed for contact lenses and discussing what you want the lenses to do for you. You may want them for sport, occasional social wear, work, driving or everyday use. Your current glasses, previous lens experience, comfort, relevant medicines and eye history all form part of the conversation.
Tell the optometrist if you have previously found lenses dry, difficult to handle or uncomfortable. Honest detail helps narrow the options more effectively than simply asking for the most popular brand.
Step 2: Choosing the first trial lens
The optometrist chooses a trial lens based on the prescription, eye measurements, history and intended use. The first lens is a carefully selected starting point, not a guarantee that it will be the final lens.
If the appropriate trial lens is in stock, the fitting can continue. If not, the trial lenses may need to be ordered before the handling and wear assessment takes place. Some prescriptions and lens designs require more specific trial options.
Step 3: Learning to put lenses in and take them out
Once the trial lenses are available, you receive practical instruction on inserting and removing them. New wearers should expect to practise. The aim is not speed; it is being able to handle the lenses safely and confidently before taking them home.
You will also receive care guidance that matches the lens type. This includes clean, dry hands, the correct replacement routine and the correct solution where applicable. Never rinse or store lenses in tap water, and do not sleep in lenses unless the optometrist has specifically instructed that your lens and wear schedule allow it.
Step 4: Wearing the trial lenses for about two hours
After instruction, you will usually wear the trial lenses for about two hours at or around the practice. This gives the lenses time to settle and gives you time to notice how your vision and comfort feel in ordinary movement rather than only in the first few minutes after insertion.
When you return, the optometrist reviews:
- how clearly you see with the lenses;
- how the lenses fit and move on the eyes;
- your comfort; and
- any blur, dryness, irritation or handling difficulty you noticed.
Step 5: The two-week trial period
If the initial review is satisfactory, you will usually take the trial lenses home and wear them for about two weeks. This is the useful real-life part of the fitting: you can assess them while working, driving, using screens, exercising or doing the activities for which you wanted lenses.
The two-week trial is an assessment period, not the replacement schedule for every lens. Daily disposable lenses must be discarded after use; reusable lenses must be cleaned, disinfected and replaced on the schedule prescribed for that product. Do not reuse a daily disposable lens to make it last for the trial period. See the CDC explanation of contact-lens types and replacement.
Keep your glasses available. They are still needed for breaks, days when lenses are uncomfortable and unexpected problems. Follow the wear and replacement schedule you have been given rather than extending wear because the lenses still feel acceptable.
Step 6: Follow-up before the final supply is ordered
At the follow-up appointment, the optometrist reviews your experience, vision and fit again. If you and the optometrist are happy with the result, the final lenses can be ordered.
If the lenses are not comfortable, do not provide stable vision or do not fit as intended, the process does not simply stop. The next step may be a different trial-lens specification or refinement of the prescription, followed by another assessment. That is the point of the trial period: to find the most suitable option before ordering a full supply.
What should make you contact the practice sooner?
Remove the lenses and seek prompt professional assessment if you develop pain, marked redness, light sensitivity, discharge, sudden blurred vision or a persistent foreign-body feeling. If the practice is closed or cannot assess you promptly, contact an ophthalmologist or an emergency service; do not wait for a routine booking. Do not keep reinserting a lens to see whether the symptom settles. Sudden vision loss, severe eye pain, injury or chemical exposure needs urgent medical assessment.
Keep lenses away from water, including while showering or swimming. The CDC explains why water exposure can cause serious contact-lens infections.
How to prepare for a contact-lens appointment
Bring your current glasses and details of any previous contact lenses or lens-care products. Existing contact-lens wearers should remove their lenses at home and arrive wearing glasses unless the practice gives different instructions for that appointment.
For the examination itself, read what happens during a comprehensive eye examination. If you are comparing payment options, our cash or medical-aid guide explains the questions to ask before approving a quotation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my glasses prescription to buy contact lenses?
No. A contact-lens fitting is needed to confirm the appropriate lens specification, fit and wear plan.
How long does the fitting take?
It varies. The first process includes the eye examination, teaching and the approximately two-hour trial-lens wear period. More than one visit may be needed if trial lenses must be ordered or another lens option is required.
What happens if I cannot insert or remove the lenses at first?
You will be given time to practise. Do not take lenses home until you can handle them safely and understand the care instructions.
When can I order my final lenses?
Usually after the approximately two-week trial and follow-up confirm that the vision, comfort and fit are satisfactory.
Can I wear the trial lenses while driving?
Discuss your usual driving needs with the optometrist. Do not drive in lenses until you are comfortable with your vision and have followed the advice given for your fitting.
Book a contact-lens fitting in Pierre van Ryneveld
Book online, call 012 662 0188 or WhatsApp 061 592 8356 to arrange an eye examination and contact-lens fitting at Pierre van Ryneveld Optometrist, Shop 9, Ryneveld Lifestyle Centre, Centurion.
This article provides general information and does not replace individual advice. The fitting steps and timing may change where the prescription, lens type, eye findings or individual needs require it.
