Eye irritation and makeup: what works?

Question for my girls who wear contacts and love makeup:

Lately, I’ve been dealing with these constant eye infections🙂
and they go one of two ways—sometimes just some eye drops do the trick, other times I’m stuck taking antibiotic pills.
Here’s the kicker: I wear contact lenses. After the last flare-up, I tossed my old lenses and started fresh with new ones, but my eyes are already acting up again.🙂
This time around, I’m ditching my old contact solution too—I totally forgot to do that last time, which was probably a mistake.😵

But what am I supposed to do about my makeup stash? Do I really have to throw away all my eyeshadows, mascaras, liners, liquid liner...??? 😲 I’ll be completely broke at this rate! 😢

Honestly, I’m reaching a breaking point here; I’m so used to wearing contacts, and it’s such a pain to wear glasses at work—between them fogging up and constantly sliding down my nose...😠 plus, my eyes just keep getting inflamed.

Thanks for any advice!

I’ve been wearing contacts for about 28 years now, and I’ve dealt with eye infections just twice in all that time.
The main thing is you have to actually cure the infection, not just mask the symptoms.
To figure out exactly what's going on, you really need to go get an eye swab at a specialist clinic—like if you're over in New York City, you'd head to a top-tier ophthalmology center.
Then, you have to do another swab after your treatment to make sure everything is totally cleared up.
The first time it happened, I skipped that second step, and sure enough, it came right back!
In the meantime, you should definitely switch to glasses.
And honestly? Just toss your old contacts, your lens case, any eye makeup, and even those eye creams straight into the trash.
I didn't throw out my makeup the first time around, which was a mistake.

Once I finally finished the treatment and tossed everything out, the infection never bothered me again.
That was about 7 years ago.

I'm sorry to say it, but there's really no other way to do it right!

Man, there are some real pros in here... I’ve got a quick question about contacts...

I’ve started seeing these little "hairs" dancing around in my field of vision. I'm guessing it's just protein buildup from my eyes—since my eyes definitely produce way more gunk when I'm wearing lenses. You can only really see them when you're staring at a solid, bright background.

How do I actually get them out properly? I've been using artificial tears pretty consistently, but it doesn't seem to be doing much (maybe I'm not using enough, though I do apply quite a few drops at once).

Should I head to a drugstore and grab some sterile saline or distilled water? Is that safe for the eyes? I know those ultrasonic cleaners for contacts exist, and they use distilled water or something similar... so if that's okay for the machines, why wouldn't it work for me?

Also, is one of those ultrasonic gadgets actually worth it? They look like they cost about $100?

I see those "floaters" too, though they kinda remind me more of staph infections to be honest. Back when I tried to self-diagnose that, I rushed to my eye doctor, and after checking everything out, he told me it was probably just vitreous changes—which I guess is pretty common if you're nearsighted.

It's the same thing when I look at a bright background; they aren't still, they just float around. Like, if I look up, they "jump" and then just slowly drift downward or whatever.

jadesailor14, thanks for the input!
I guess I’m just gonna have to scrap everything...🙂

slyowl24 said:How am I supposed to stay on top of this thoroughly? I’m using artificial tears constantly, but it doesn't seem to be doing much—maybe I'm not using enough, though I've been applying quite a bit in several sessions.

Well, aren't you using those lens cleaning tablets?🤔

rapidheron said:I see those "floaters" too, but honestly, they look more like staph infections to me. Back when I tried to play doctor and diagnose myself, I ran to my eye doctor. He did a full exam and told me it’s probably just changes in the vitreous humor—pretty common if you're nearsighted.

Same thing happens when I look at a bright background. They aren't still, either; they drift around. Like, if I look up, they "jump," then slowly slide down or whatever.

But I didn't notice them until I started wearing contacts, and the number actually seems to go up when I have them in. Sometimes I'll wear my glasses for a day or two just to see if it "clears" things up, but it feels like it lasts way longer than that. Is there even a way to stop this entirely?

Your description is spot on, though. That's exactly how I see them... just floating around, lagging behind whenever my eyes move.

Not sure what else your doctor mentioned, but I'm not really buying the whole vitreous thing myself. Doesn't sound right to me, but hey, I'm no eye specialist.🙂

Megan Reed said:Wait, aren't you just using those cleaning tablets for the lentils? 🤔

You didn't get me. I usually just stick to those universal drops—I actually just picked up some new one-day disposables along with the liquid and pill combo—but my point is that I can still see those "hairs" even after I take the lenses out (just less so), and even with using Refresh Contacts a few times a day.

I’m with Brenda Bailey on this one—brine just hits different. It’s cleaner.

Brenda Bailey said:Sometimes they get by with just some eye drops, other times it takes a full round of antibiotics.

You've got to be kidding me.
Ever dealt with an eye infection while wearing contacts? You absolutely have to see an eye doctor every single time it happens. No shortcuts—they need to give you a full exam every time. Look, contacts are a killer alternative to glasses, but they’re also risky if things start getting complicated.

Brenda Bailey said:Here's the deal: I wear contacts. After that last bout of inflammation, I tossed my old lenses and switched to a fresh pair, but now my eye is acting up again. 🙂
I’m gonna toss this old contact lens solution too—totally blanked on that last time. 😵

So, what am I supposed to do with all my makeup? Am I really expected to just toss everything—eyeshadows, mascara, liners, liquid liner—straight into the trash? 😲 I’m headed straight for bankruptcy. 😢

Yeah.

You aren't just going to be swapping out your eye drops constantly. You’ll end up tossing them every three months too—assuming you were careful enough to make sure nothing even breathed on the bottle tip during that time. You'll basically have to bin any makeup that gets anywhere near your eyes, stop borrowing anything from friends or family, and skip those free samples at Sephora entirely. No testing promotional makeup, either. Total lockdown.

You might go broke. Just think about how much more you'd lose if you ended up losing sight in one or both eyes.

Brenda Bailey said:I’m honestly at my wit's end here. I’ve always been a contact lens person, and trying to get through a workday wearing glasses is just miserable. Between the constant fogging up and them constantly slipping down my nose, it's driving me crazy.😠 My eye keeps twitching every five minutes.

Thanks for the input!

Yeah. Glasses are a hassle. Losing your sight is an even bigger one. Don't mess around with that.

slyowl24 said:I still see those "floaters" even after taking my contacts out (just less frequently),

"Floaters" can mean a dozen different things depending on who you ask. Honestly, just go see an eye doctor to be safe.

It’s true that wearing contacts regularly leads to protein buildup, which you can manage pretty well with enzyme cleaners. But that’s not a permanent fix—eventually, you're going to need to swap out your lenses for a fresh pair anyway.

slyowl24 said:... but the issue is that I still see these "floaters" even after taking my contacts out (just less frequently), and I have to use artificial tears ("Refresh Contacts") several times a day.

That’s what worries me, because the lenses themselves are clean.

Look, you've already figured it all out yourself, haven't you? 🙂
If you're seeing these changes both with and without your contacts, isn't it obvious the lenses aren't the culprit? 😉

rapidheron made a good point 🙂

The shift you're describing is known as vitreous opacities—basically, cloudiness in the vitreous body. What you're experiencing is a degenerative change in the vitreous, which isn't inherently dangerous. This doesn't just happen with age; it can strike young people too, particularly those with myopia.
The vitreous itself is a mesh-like structure composed of fine fibers. Our eyes are in constant motion, and during those continuous movements—or when adjusting focus between distances—those tiny fibers can snap. That's when we see the floaters, strings, or clumps that you mentioned.
There is no cure, unfortunately. You'll simply have to learn to live with them.
It likely isn't anything critical, but you should still get an exam from an ophthalmologist. If I were in your shoes, I would 😉

Brenda Bailey said:A question for the ladies who wear makeup while wearing contact lenses:

Lately, I've been dealing with constant eye infections 🙂
and sometimes eye drops aren't enough—I end up needing antibiotics.
The issue is my contacts. After the last infection, I tossed my old lenses and started fresh with new ones, yet the pain returns immediately.🙂
This time, I'm throwing out my old contact solution too—that was my mistake last time.😵

But before I deal with my makeup—do I really have to toss every single eyeshadow, mascara, liner, and liquid liner I own? Because that would be an absolute financial disaster! 😲 😢

I should mention I am at my wit's end; I rely on contacts, and frankly, working in glasses is miserable—between the fogging and them constantly slipping...😠 yet my eyes just won't stop inflaming.

Thanks for any advice!

I agree with everything jadesailor14 said, but above all, see a doctor. This might be a chronic issue, and you won't know for sure without a culture test.

Kate Garcia2 said:Look, you pretty much figured it out yourself. 🙂
If you're seeing those changes both with and without contacts, there's a good chance the lenses aren't the culprit, right? 😉

rapidheron made a good point. 🙂

That thing you described is called vitreous opacities—basically, cloudiness in the vitreous humor. It’s just a degenerative change in the vitreous, which isn't dangerous on its own. It doesn't really care how old you are; it can pop up in young people too, though it's more common if you're nearsighted.
The vitreous itself is this mesh-like structure made of tiny fibers. Our eyes are constantly moving, and with all that shifting and refocusing on things at different distances, those little fibers can snap. That's what causes those floaters, strings, or little clumps you mentioned.
There’s no cure, unfortunately. You just kind of have to learn to live with the floaters.
It probably isn't anything scary, but you should still get checked out by an eye doctor. If I were you, I'd 😉

Hmm...

So, I first noticed this while I was at the beach looking up at the sky. I was wearing my old backup contacts back then, but I wasn't pushing it too hard—no diving or anything. Now I've got these annual ones that you could basically sleep in...

Alright, fine. If this happens to nearsighted people, cool. But if I somehow caused this by wearing contacts, then damn... I should've just stuck to glasses. I never saw this before, maybe I just didn't notice.

Right now, I wear my annuals for a few days at a time (because honestly, putting them in every single morning is a drag), then I switch to glasses for a day, maybe once a week... at least until the guy at the optical shop swaps my two-weekers (which last 30 days). Hopefully, these expensive annual ones won't hurt if I wear them 5 or 6 days straight. If I accidentally sleep in my two-weekers, my vision is a total mess for a few hours the next morning... with these, I'm fine. I just use some Refresh and it's totally comfortable...

As for the eye doctor, that's the easy part.

Thanks for the help, everyone.

placidfox55 said:Seeing "floaters" can mean a million different things depending on who you ask. Honestly, just go see an eye doctor.

I mean, yeah, obviously. You gotta trust a specialist.

placidfox55 said:It's true that if you wear contacts regularly, protein buildup happens. You can manage it pretty well with those enzyme cleaning tablets. But even that isn't a forever fix—eventually, you just have to toss the lenses and get new ones.

I notice shifts in my vision even without contacts, though maybe not as much. And I'm definitely not putting tiny tablets in my eyes... I just stick to annual lenses. I usually go for the all-in-one solutions. I actually picked up a kit with separate tablets and two bottles of solution, but since I still have plenty of my old multi-purpose stuff, I haven't bothered with the new setup yet.

slyowl24 said:I mean, I can't exactly drop pills in my eyes...

Oh, really? You can't? Wow... you've completely caught me off guard there. 🙄 😬

placidfox55 said:Oh, really??!! You can't? ... wow, you totally caught me off guard there... 🙄 😬

🙄

slyowl24 said:Well, sure, an expert is an expert.

I notice those changes too, even without wearing contacts, just on a smaller scale. Though I definitely can't go putting tablets directly in my eyes! I usually stick to annual lenses and just use an all-in-one solution. I actually picked up that new kit with the tablets and the two separate liquids, but since I still have plenty of my multi-purpose solution left, I haven't switched over yet.

I use Allergan multi-purpose solution along with the tablets once a week (just in the case, obviously, not in my eyes!)
I go with bi-weekly soft lenses mainly for hygiene and eye health—honestly, disposables would probably be the best way to go.

My ophthalmologist always compliments me because you can't even tell I'm wearing contacts (apparently people *can* tell!), saying it's obvious I take great care of them.
And of course I do! Besides, I'm as blind as a bat without them.

I've dealt with staph infections forever, so it's nothing to do with the lenses themselves.
I totally forgot the technical term for it, but it's nothing dangerous.😁

slyowl24 said:Hmm...

I actually first noticed this while out on the coast looking up at the sky. Back then, I was using my daily disposables and they were almost run out, but I was careful not to overdo it—no diving or anything crazy. Now I’ve moved up to annual lenses, which you can pretty much sleep in...

Fair enough. If this is just a common thing for nearsighted people, fine, but if I somehow caused this by how I used my old lenses, man... I really should have stuck to glasses. I hadn't noticed it before, though maybe I just wasn't paying attention...

Right now, I wear my annuals for a few days at a time (because honestly, putting them in every single morning is such a chore!), and then I switch back to glasses for a day, at least once a week... while the guy at the eye clinic takes two weeks to swap out my dailies (even though they last 30 days). Hopefully, wearing these more expensive annuals for 5 or 6 days straight won't hurt. If I accidentally fall asleep in my dailies, my vision is a total blur for a few hours the next morning... but with these, I don't have that issue at all. I just use some > and everything feels perfectly comfortable again!

As for finding an ophthalmologist, that’s the easy part...

Thanks everyone for the input!

The number one golden rule for contact lenses is DO NOT sleep in them, regardless of what the packaging claims or who tells you otherwise.
Rule number one is keeping your hygiene at the highest possible level.

Unfortunately, we only get one pair of eyes, so we have to take care of them because there are no spare parts.
Especially if they are already damaged.

And why are you switching to glasses for just one day? For a break? You don't need to do that.

jadesailor14 said:Staph infections have always been around; it’s got nothing to do with wearing contacts.
Technical breakdown: I honestly blanked for a second, but yeah—it’s nothing to worry about. It isn't dangerous at all. 😁

Put those "fluffy staph infections" in quotes again. I was nodding along to your first sentence until it finally clicked what you actually meant... 🤣

Why can't we just cut off a chunk of a pencil and toss the rest?