Soft Contact Lens Deposits

Picture from JS Andersen, et al. "A Handbook of Contact Lens Management." Vistakon, Johnson & Johnson Vision Products, May 1996.

This picture shows deposits on a soft contact lens. These deposits may be protein, lipid, or calcium. Deposits may come from the tears on the eye. The tears are naturally very rich in protein and lipids. Depending on the lens material and water content, different lenses may attract varying types of deposits.

Deposits are generally easier to avoid than to try to remove. Often the deposits become almost embedded in the lens, at which point it becomes impossible to clean them off.

Deposits can be avoided by maintaining a good lens care regimen of cleaning and disinfection. Different contact lens solutions work better on different types of deposits. This is why it is important to always stay with the solutions and care system your eye doctor recommends. Generally, the system was chosen for a reason.

Always wash your hands with a mild soap that does not contain lotion or moisturizers. These soaps leave a residue on your hands that is easily transferred to your contact lenses. Do not remove eye make-up with a cream or lotion remover when your lenses are in your eyes. The preferred method would be with a liquid product since the same problem arises from the moisturizing eye make-up removers as with lotion hand soap.

Finally, follow your eye doctor’s prescribed lens replacement schedule. Disposable lenses are meant to be disposed of, and by maintaining the proper replacement schedule, you are less prone to have lens deposits because you are putting a fresh, clean lens on the eye on a regular basis.

Sara Butterworth, OD
March 7, 2002