Ok well everyone listen up, hopefully I can get some imput. I have been growing my hair out over the last 9 months, which means I don’t have any bangs on my forehead anymore. I’ve never went without bangs in my life, but I’m just giving it a try to see how I look. Anyways, they’re pretty grown out on the sides now, although I’m quite disatisfied with how my hair and face look now. I don’t think it suits me very well (although wearing a hairband with no bangs looks really nice on me, that’s about it) so I was looking in a magazine today and found a hairstyle with bangs, that would look really beautiful, so probably next week, I’m going to get my hair cut and layered, and also get my bangs back. What does this have to do with contacts? Well, I have two pairs of glasses that I use for reading, one pair is uber geeky, which I don’t use, and another pair is black sophisticated frames. The only problem is, they really clash with my bangs, if they hang even a milimetre over my eyes. Like it makes me look really stupid. So I figure with a new haircut, I could get contacts instead, and avoid the hassel of looking hideous and taking on/off my glasses all the time. I got my non-geeky glasses almost two years ago and I wasn’t think really thinking. I don’t think I had style when I was 15. Anyways, so, like I’ve always been weary of contacts. Anything coming near my eyes, scare me. I heard a story my friend Sam told me once, and it had to do with his friend putting contacts in, which in turn got twisted in stuck in his eye sockets, and had to be taken out over a painful two hour period. That really makes me wet my panties. I’m really terrified of hurting my eyes with contacts. Plus, the price factor. It’ll cost probably a frigging 100 dollars to go in and get my eyes examined again…and then picking up contacts. I’m not sure if they’d be covered under my parent’s jobs. How expensive are they? Do you change contacts everyday, or every month? I think both are options. How do you put them in? etc etc. Can any of you put them in, and enlighten me on your contacts/glasses or even hair experiences?
I don’t really know a thing about glasses or contacts, but I think it might be a good idea to stay with glasses, although there’s the problem of looking kind of geeky with the glasses mixed with the bangs. 8)
I’m pretty sure the chances of something like that happening with contacts is pretty low, but they may cost quite a bit, and I think you have to replace them on a fixed schedule; maybe every few weeks or once a month or something like that. Aside from that, you would certainly have to get used to them too; they are quite a bit different from glasses, you know!
Sorry I can’t be of more help, though. My advice would be to gather as much info as you can from here, then look into things further; weigh the pros and cons of each, and even sample both options and see what you like. 8)
Contacts should be covered if glasses are, dunno though. It’s what I’d think, though.
I wear contacts, and they’re not that big of a deal. Once you get used to putting them in, they’re not even a hassle. Also, I almost never notice that they’re in unless they’re in wrong, in which case I just fix them.
Most contacts can be worn for 2 weeks, although wearing them longer doesn’t seem to have a noticeable effect. Note if you wear them for like a month straight without taking them out, and then you do take them out, go a couple of days without contacts to let your eyes breathe.
Speaking of which, some contacts are meant to be taken out each night while you sleep, but some you can leave in 24/7. Generally, contacts are more upkeep, but you lose the teasing that sometimes come with glasses and they’re generally more comfortable.
I generally wear my contacts (Acuvue) for a coupla months at a time. They’re pretty comfortable, like I don’t even notice they’re there most of the time, and I’ve never had any trouble with them (after the intital “learning phase,” of course). I sleep in them too, so I don’t have to go through the trouble of putting them in every day. ^^ They cost me about $19 or $20 per box, which has 3 pairs. So, they way I wear them, I only ever buy a new box 2 or 3 times a year. 
Putting them in is pretty easy, they’ll show you how at the optomitrist’s (sp?) office, assuming that’s where you’re getting them from. Don’t worry if you have trouble doing it at first, it took me quite a bit of practice to get it right. 
And makes sure that it’s not backwards, or inside out, cuz it’ll be REAL uncomfortable if it is. With mine, you can tell because there are little tiny letters on the edge, which read AV if the contact is rightside out (or VA if it’s inside out).
Hm, what else…
Tip: Always ALWAYS keep a spare pair in your purse or whatever you carry stuff in, you never know when a contact might jump out of your eye in the middle of a movie or something. You’ll probably get a couple of contact cases when you get your lenses, along with some cleaning fluid. And if you get a travel-sized bottle of cleaning fluid, I’d advise carrying that with you too when you go out. You might want to get a pair of glasses to keep with you anyway, just in case.
As for hair, I can’t really make any suggestions without knowing what you look like. 
I need to get mine cut as well, probably gonna get layers.
I’ve had glasses since fifth grade, and I started wearing contacts in seventh. Just for reference, I’m in my 20s. I was sort of weirded out about sticking something on my eyes in the beginning, but now I almost can’t imagine going without them.
There are different types of contacts, and it’s not very difficult to find the type that’s right for a person. When I started wearing contacts, I wore gas permeable ones. They’re more rigid that most other types, and they require specific cleaning and storage solutions. I have pretty bad astigmatism, so fitting my eyes wasn’t the easiest thing in the world then (FYI, part of the reason that getting your eyes examined for these is to determine what type would fit your eyes the best - you don’t just randomly order some and stick them on your eyes). Those contacts weren’t disposable, and buying new ones was a very expensive production.
Anyway, when you start wearing contacts, it does take some time to acclimate yourself. The eye doctor will have a schedule for you to follow to gradually get used to wearing them - like an hour the first day, two the next, going on until you’re able to wear them as much as you like. There are different ways to put them on your eyes, and an eyecare professional can show you as it’s sort of hard to explain well like this.
So, I wore the ones I had for many years, and after a while they just weren’t really right for me. The type I had didn’t cover my iris completely, and my eyes sometimes dried out in places along where I blinked, and it was uncomfortable for me. I decided to switch to soft contacts (and there are a LOT of types of those - daily disposable, two week disposable, monthly disposable, day-night ones you can wear all the time… you get the picture), and I’ve been very happy with those. The only problem that may come up is being careful not to tear them, because having even a small tear in a lens will make it more than a little uncomfortable to wear. Also, sometimes people are worried about putting their contacts on inside out - no problem there, because it’s not hard to tell the difference between right side and inside out, and they won’t stick when they’re inside out.
Since I require different strengths for my eyes, I have to buy a box of contacts for each eye - I pay about $20 for one box of six lenses, so that about $40 for both eyes. Colored lenses cost twice as much (I have green ones, whee!). I wear two-week disposables (Acuvue 2), and to be honest I wear mine for a fair bit longer than two weeks. After a while, I do notice a lack of clarity, so these really aren’t meant to be permanent lenses - be good and change them, lol. I’m not in my vision plan at work (because most vision plans really suck), and my medical plan doesn’t cover eye stuff, so I use flexible spending/medical reimbursement for my eye expenses. Since you’re in Canada, I’m sure the costs would be different for you. Ask your parents to check with their health plans.
With the horror stories about people getting contacts stuck on their eyes… I don’t know about that. I don’t mean to worry you about anything, but realistically… the only way I could think of for a person to get contacts stuck on their eyes is if some sort of crazy injury happened, like a speeding racquetball directly in the eye socket. However, if you ever work in a chemisty lab, wearing contacts can be a concern - if you have a nasty accident and get something in your eyes, it will be even more painful wearing contacts because they’ll trap whatever it is, and they could melt, depending upon the chemical. That’s why people wearing contacts in labs are supposed to sign waivers about it (at least here). Like I said, I’m not trying to scare you, but it is a slight possibility.
If you want to try contacts (and I hope you do, they’re very convenient), you could ask your eye doctor - when I first wore mine, they let me wear a sample pair so I could see what I thought of it. With disposable contacts as prominent as they are these days, trying a sample should be no problem. =)
With hair experiences? I don’t have bangs (definitely not my thing), but mine is angled in the front. It makes the front look interesting.
I have soft lenses that I change every day. The only real downside is that sometimes my eyes get dry and they kinda itch or sting a bit, but just blink a lot and the moisture should come back. And if the wind blows in your eyes, it hurts.
Like I said, I put new ones in every day, but I don’t neccessarily have too. You can wear the for a few days, but I’ve been told that doing that is supposed to cause an eye infection, but I haven’t had that kind of trouble yet. It can be a little strange sticking something into your eye the first few times, but after a week or two you should get used to both having something in your eye and putting them in. It isn’t very difficult once you learn how, and it isn’t very scary either. Contacts aren’t made out of glass or anything, they are a plastic/water combination that is very flexible and moisturised.
Oh, and I have bangs, but I have no idea what that has to do with anything. I’m growing my hair out, so I’ll probably have to stick them to the side or something sooner or later, but it hasn’t really started to bother me yet.
Wow, this is reallt helpful guys (or rather, girls ;D) Very influential. I have read over everything everyone’s said up until now and I am taking everything seriously. I wish to point some thing’s out though.
I sleep in them too, so I don’t have to go through the trouble of putting them in every day. ^^ They cost me about $19 or $20 per box, which has 3 pairs. So, they way I wear them, I only ever buy a new box 2 or 3 times a year.
Cool, I didn’t know you could sleep in them! 20 bucks per box doesn’t sound too bad either, and for that small amount a year? My mom is all NO CONTACTS because she figures the boxes will cost a lot.
Tip: Always ALWAYS keep a spare pair in your purse or whatever you carry stuff in, you never know when a contact might jump out of your eye in the middle of a movie or something.
:\ Jump…out??
The eye doctor will have a schedule for you to follow to gradually get used to wearing them - like an hour the first day, two the next, going on until you’re able to wear them as much as you like.
That sounds easy, I’d be up for that. In a sense, it’s like getting new glasses. When I got both pairs of my glasses, wearing them the first few days made me extremely dizzy and I couldn’t wear them for long.
The only problem that may come up is being careful not to tear them, because having even a small tear in a lens will make it more than a little uncomfortable to wear.
How uncomfortable…? I can’t fathom having something…sticking and annoying my eye.
That’s why people wearing contacts in labs are supposed to sign waivers about it (at least here). Like I said, I’m not trying to scare you, but it is a slight possibility.
Yep, that scares me 
Anything like that I just take to heart. I’m not normally in a lab at school, and very rarely am I around chemicals. I just realized though, that if cooking would be a different matter…like cooking bacon or something. I’ll be scared around greasy foods in case some fat flies :\
Though you seem to have felt the way I do now, Vicki, so what you and others say is important to me. I gotta pysch myself up to get them now 
And you know RPGC is the BEST place to ask questions like that. 
I don’t really have anything new to say, though, because I spent too much time replying to you and everybody else said what I wanted to! I’m wearing glasses since I’m 12, but I had a 3 year-period in which I wore contacts. I realized I preferred glasses, though (which make me look WAY better).
I had a lot of trouble taking out my contacts at first, like pretty much everybody, because I didn’t like touching my eyes, but after a while, it didn’t bother me anymore. You’ll get used to it. Just don’t grow nails because you’ll see how it can hurt.
The price varies depending on what type you use. You should ask the optometrist, of course. I had soft monthly lenses and it cost me less than 100$ for 6 months. They were great, but they had to be taken out every night. I had the same problems as Sorc has with his, though. You can probably try a pair for a few weeks if you ask the optometrist. You’ll see if you like it or not.
I don’t have bangs, but I have layers. I like that, heh.
EDIT: Blah. Contacts can jump out if they’re misplaced or if your eyes are REALLY dry. It happened a few times that I put them in on the wrong side, but that’s because I didn’t pay attention and I noticed it right away.
Heh, by jumping out, I just mean that they may dry up a bit (mine tend to always do it if I’m out late, dunno why), and fall out. Nothing too dramatic or anything.
I have soft lenses that I change every day.
What’s the difference between soft and hard contacts? I’ve heard from someone else, too, that soft is better than hard, so I’m guessing I should stay away from hard contacts…
And you know RPGC is the BEST place to ask questions like that.
Of course! We’re talking about image here, help spread the love! We’re bonding.
I had a lot of trouble taking out my contacts at first, like pretty much everybody, because I didn’t like touching my eyes, but after a while, it didn’t bother me anymore. You’ll get used to it. Just don’t grow nails because you’ll see how it can hurt.
More reassurance, yay. I’m glad to hear that it doesnt seem to be a big deal as more time progresses and you get used to them. And ouch, I will definately consider that.
bCool, I didn’t know you could sleep in them! 20 bucks per box doesn’t sound too bad either, and for that small amount a year? My mom is all NO CONTACTS because she figures the boxes will cost a lot.[/b]
Like I said, you can, but I have soft lenses, so I’m not really supposed too. There are kinds that you can. I think mine cost somewhere around $60-$80 for a 3 month supply.
Not really jump out, more like cripple up and fall out. They stick using moisture, and if your eye dries out then it can fall out. Or it can tear. But I’ll get to that in a minute.
bThat sounds easy, I’d be up for that. In a sense, it’s like getting new glasses. When I got both pairs of my glasses, wearing them the first few days made me extremely dizzy and I couldn’t wear them for long.[/b]
I never did that. I figured I’d just start putting them in all day because I couldn’t keep up with a schedule. If you want too, go ahead, but I didn’t.
bHow uncomfortable…? I can’t fathom having something…sticking and annoying my eye.[/b]
How uncomfortable? Very uncomfortable. It stings like hell and your eye gets really red. It hurts like a sonuvabitch. But just take it out, spray some solution in your eye and get another one. It’s a good idea to have a pair around with you, but not neccessary. After a while you’ll really get used to them and you’ll know how to fix any problems. I’ve only had mine tear once, and that’s because I blinked wrong or something and it got out of alignment. Which is another relativly common problem. Say you jump in a pool or something, and you hit hard, that could be enough to knock your contact out of alignment, so that you can sorta see, but somethings a blurry. Just blink a couple times and it’ll get back into place. Or you may have to manually pull it back in, which is no big deal either.
bYep, that scares me Anything like that I just take to heart. I’m not normally in a lab at school, and very rarely am I around chemicals. I just realized though, that if cooking would be a different matter…like cooking bacon or something. I’ll be scared around greasy foods in case some fat flies :[/b]
I always ignored that. Maybe I’m just careless, but the probablity of most of that shit is pretty small. And I would imagine it would be no different if you got hit in the eye with grease with or without a contact, although the contact may cause more problems, it’s still a problem regardless. Who cares? I’m sure they could lasik it out or something.
Hope I helped?
The difference between soft lenses and hard lenses is that soft lenses are bendable and you can take out throw away; they’re disposable. As far as I know, hard lenses you have to put into solution every night and wash and stuff.
Oooh ok…yes very helpful and informative. Extremely So disposables are soft and hard are contacts that are…not disposable. The soft sound more appealing and less painful.
When I wore the gas perms, they jumped out sometimes. Yes, it can happen if something gets under them, or if your eye gets dry, or something like that. Also, I had two spot infections on my eye wearing that type of lens, a year apart, on the same eye - it’s what I talked about earlier with the lens not covering the entire area and blinking and all that. Yes, I actually had a white dot on my iris. This brings me to another point - if your eye is sick (for example, pinkeye), no contacts. That’s Captain Obvious there though, lol.
About tears and ragged edges and whatnot - when I say uncomfortable, I mean that it’ll feel like you’ve got something stuck in your eye that you’ve got to blink out or fish out (like if an eyelash falls out and lands in an inopportune place under your eyelid). It’s not exactly pain per se, but it is a certain level of discomfort.
There are pros and cons for rigid lenses (like the gas perms) and for soft lenses. One type may be better for you than the other. When I first got mine, my eyes couldn’t be fitted properly with soft ones - the technology sort of had to advance a little before I could wear soft ones. The cool thing about the gas perms was that I really could just rinse them with water if something got on them, and I knew I couldn’t tear those. Soft ones ended up being more comfortable for me since they cover more of my eye, and a single solution is nice.
edit - Man, I forgot. The chance of hot oil popping intoyour eye and screwing with your contacts isn’t very large at all. The only way you should probably be concerned is if you have a job like mine.
If you do decide to get contacts try this schedule for the first few days:
1st day: Wear the contacts for 1 hour then take them out.
2nd day: 2 hours then out
3rd day: 4 hours then out
4th day: 6 hours then out
5th day: 8 hours then out.
By the sixth day you shouldn’t have any trouble with wearing them, getting them in is another story. It took me a couple months before I could get them in my eyes in under 15 minutes. Also, make sure your contacts are the same prescription as the glasses you’ll be wearing when you have them out. My glasses at the time were weaker than my contacts and switching from the contacts to the glasses gave me a sick headache, you know, one of those where everything is spinning and you feel like blowing chunks. Once you get used to them you won’t ever want to wear your glasses again.
Pretty much everything I know about contacts has been brought up already, but I’d still like to help, if I can. While the cost’s already been played down, it’s not really been touched on how expensive contacts are compared to glasses. The truth is that contacts are actually less expensive than glasses, when you consider that glasses need to be replaced every 1-2 years. Because of that, price shouldn’t be the deciding factor for contacts; comfort, and self-image should.
It’s also really handy; some contacts are weighted so that they rotate on their axis so that you <i>can’t</i> wear them upside-down, and even if you did, they’d be right side up in a few minutes. This is really nice for astigmatism.
I need to get contacts, I’m told I look better without my glasses on, and I tend to agree.
I have a soft lens pair that are supposed to be used for a month unless damaged or what not. Every day you’ve gotta take them out and you can’t really sleep in them. Although, I’ve done it and nothing’s happened as of yet. ^^
Putting them in does take some getting used to; I’m still not comfortable with it. I think they were 100 dollars for the year.
I’ve never heard of any serious problems like it getting stuck in the eye socket. Yeah there’s a tolerance you have to have in getting used to putting contacts in your eyes. My brother couldn’t he just would get too frustrated and maybe he has bigger fingers so that didn’t help. I’m not sure i could stand bangs in my face, i’ve had my hair grown out for a long while now.
I don’t think contacts are too expensive, i have the two week soft disposable kind that you shouldn’t sleep in but i have sometimes. There are cheap not so known brands of contacts you could get as well, I’ve always had biomedics 38. I have yet to get an eye infection though, I have slept occasionally with my contacts in. It isn’t good to do that cause it could end up being difficult to get the contact out since the surface of the eye being dried out. What helps is putting some relubricating drops on your eye and rubbing your eyelid, that could loosen it. Don’t let the person put your contacts in your eye for you, just wouldn’t help you and could be kinda unclean. Funny thing is when wearing my contacts i might touch the bridge of my nose(the area between your eyes?) as if pushing up my glasses, just as reflex. Anyone else do that silly thing?
If you’ve got money to burn, just get some freak to burn your eyes away with a laser.