A contact lens appointment is slightly different to your usual eye test but is just as important, especially if you’re getting started with contact lenses for the first time. Whether you’re new to contact lenses or only new to Specsavers, we have created a guide below to help you understand what to expect on your first contact lens appointment at one of our stores.
What to expect in a contact lens appointment
- Before we start
You’ll need to have had an eye test within the last two years. That way we can ensure you’re getting the most out of your contact lenses.
If you haven’t had an eye test recently, book an appointment here with one of your local opticians. - Chat about lenses
Our expert opticians will talk you through what type of lens would most suit your wearing habits and lifestyle, such as daily disposables, monthly disposables and continuous wear lenses. - Eye check
They’ll also check the front surface of your eyes to make sure there’s no medical condition stopping you from wearing contact lenses. - Fit, vision and comfort check
Then, the optician will carry out a full contact lens fitting check to see that the lenses fit well and your vision is clear, as well as one further check to make sure they’ll stay comfortable.
It is important that you feel comfortable and confident in your contact lenses, as this will ensure your experience is smooth and enjoyable. Read our top tips for wearing contacts here. - Tips, advice and aftercare
If you’re new to contact lenses and the optician is happy that the lenses are right, you’ll be handed over to an optical advisor. They will talk you through everything you need to know from how to put them in and take them out, to contact lens hygiene.
From here, we have lots of tips and educational advice in our contact lenses hub. You can also take advantage of our aftercare service and attend an appointment with our expert opticians to ensure your prescription is up to date and your eyes are in a healthy condition.
Your contact lenses aftercare
Taking care of your contact lenses is a really easy way of making sure your eyes stay happy and healthy. That’s why aftercare is so important for contact lens wearers.
We know how easy it may be just to buy your contact lenses online, but you could be causing damage to your eyes without realising it.
An aftercare appointment with our opticians will usually involve:
- Checking how your lenses fit, and how comfortable they feel
- Providing treatment or advice for any symptoms you may be experiencing, like dry or itchy eyes
- How you find your vision is with them
- Offering advice if you’re having any issues with your lenses, like if they feel uncomfortable or you think you need a different prescription
What’s more, you don’t need to have purchased your contact lenses from us to take advantage of our aftercare service and advice. Just book an appointment for a contact lens aftercare check-up. There will be a small fee depending on your store.
Aftercare is free with our all-inclusive package
If you choose to sign up to our all-inclusive easycare package and pay for your lenses by direct debit – all your aftercare checks are included, absolutely free.
Plus you’ll get all these great benefits, too:
- Lenses delivered to your door with our home delivery service, Lensmail
- one free pair of glasses from our €20 to €70 range, with some discounts on other ranges available*
- Up to two easyvision monthly or Acuvue® twice-monthly disposable contact lenses to replace lost or damaged lenses**
- A dedicated contact centre
- And for those who aren’t already entitled to a free PRSI-funded eye test. Find out what happens in an eye test.***
Why is it important to attend contact lens aftercare checks?
It is very important to have regular aftercare checks as recommended by your optician. Our professional contact lens consultant will examine the health of your eyes and check that you are not having any problems with the lenses or solutions prescribed (if appropriate). This will ensure that you are safe and comfortable to continue to wear contact lenses.
How to take care of your contact lenses
If you have any questions about putting your lenses it, taking them out, or how to clean them, our team will be happy to answer them for you. Or you can check out our handy ‘how-to’ videos with step-by-step guides.
Terms and conditions
*easycare customers can get one free pair of glasses with single-vision lenses from our €20 to €70 range, once in a rolling 12-month period at one store only. Discount available on other ranges – see website for details]. Additional charge for extra lens options . Excludes safety eyewear. Current prescription required.
**easycare customers can receive a number of replacement lenses free of charge. Daily disposable contact lens wearers can have a maximum of five pairs of free replacement lenses in a rolling 12-month period. Reusable contact lens wearers can have a maximum of two free replacement lenses (or one pair of free replacement lenses) in a rolling 12-month period. Additional replacement lenses on top of the free replacement entitlement will be charged for. Replacements of rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses are not free of charge so please contact your store for pricing. Lenses can be obtained from your registered store.
***easycare customer becomes eligible for a free eye test after 28 days from sign-up to easycare package and once initial three-month payment is made. Eye test excludes OCT (optical coherence tomography) scan which incurs additional charge. No refund is available for eyecare (including, eye tests) already provided. All easycare package benefits are redeemable only by named person on easycare package.
Aftercare appointments and routine sight tests (as recommended by your optician) are free to customers as part of the easycare scheme. Please ask our staff for further details. Current prescription required for all contact lens orders. Alternatively, an eye test will be needed at our standard charge. The cost of the initial three-months is payable up-front when joining the easycare scheme, then monthly payments will be required. The total cost depends on your lens type. If you are not a member of the easycare scheme then our standard charge for aftercare appointments and sight tests will apply. No refund is available for eyecare already provided. All easycare benefits are redeemable only by named person on easycare scheme. All contact lenses are subject to suitability.