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    Question

    Can I keep wearing scleral lenses with giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC)?

    GPC is a reaction under the upper eyelid that can make lenses intolerable. Hearing you need to stop wearing the lenses you depend on is frightening. Many wearers do get back into lenses, usually after a break, treatment, and some changes.

    By the Scleral Lens Team · Last reviewed October 2, 2026 · 2 published sources cited

    The short answer

    Often not at first: a break from lens wear is a standard first step, and your eye doctor decides how long. GPC usually responds well to management, which can include allergy drops and sometimes other medicines, plus changes to the lens or how it's cleaned. Many wearers return to scleral lenses afterwards, though GPC can come back, so the goal is to deal with what triggered it.

    Key points

    • GPC is bumps under the upper lid, with itching, mucus, blur, and lens intolerance.
    • It's thought to come from lid rubbing plus a reaction to deposits on the lens.
    • A break from lenses is a usual first step. Your eye doctor decides how long.
    • Cleaning, lens material, coating, and replacement are levers for getting back in.
    • If you're on steroid drops, ask about eye pressure checks.

    What GPC is

    Giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC) is the development of raised bumps, called papillae, on the lining of the upper eyelid. It’s a common complication of contact lens wear, and it can bring extra mucus, itching, blurry vision, and less tolerance of your lenses.[1]

    The exact cause isn’t fully understood. A review of the research says it likely comes from a combination of the lid lining being rubbed mechanically and an immune reaction to deposits on the front of the lens.[1] Risk factors include lenses that aren’t replaced often, long wearing times, inadequate lens hygiene, and having allergies in general.[1]

    Our page on scleral lenses and allergies covers GPC alongside other eye allergies. This page is about the question wearers ask most once they’re diagnosed: what now?

    The usual management steps

    The outlook with proper management is described as excellent.[1] Treatment steps up with severity:

    • A break from lens wear. In mild cases, stopping lens wear promptly may be enough on its own.[1]
    • Allergy drops. More severe cases may need antihistamine eye drops.[1]
    • Other medicines, less often. Steroid drops, anti-inflammatory drops, immune-modulating drops, and very rarely surgery may be needed.[1]

    Which of these you need, and for how long, is your eye doctor’s decision. If you’re prescribed a steroid drop, ask how often your eye pressure will be checked while you use it: wearers whose pressure rose on steroids say their doctor caught it at a check and adjusted treatment.

    Don’t treat yourself with leftover steroid or antibiotic drops. They need an exam and follow-up.

    Getting back into lenses

    Because deposits on the lens surface and lid rubbing are thought to drive GPC, getting back in usually means changing something about the lens or its care, not just waiting. Things to discuss with your fitter:

    • A fresh lens. Built-up deposits are a suspected trigger, so an older lens may need replacing.
    • Cleaning. Daily rubbing with your cleaner, and whether a periodic deposit-removing clean suits your lens. Ask before using anything abrasive on a coated lens. See cleaners and coated lenses.
    • Disinfection. Some wearers with allergic eyes move to a preservative-free hydrogen peroxide system with their fitter’s agreement. See hydrogen peroxide.
    • Material and coating. A different lens material or a surface coating may collect fewer deposits on your eye.
    • The edge. Edge awareness under a lid with papillae may improve with an edge change.
    • Shorter days and a midday clean. A midday removal, rinse, and refill limits how long deposits sit on the lens.
    • The rest of your allergy. If you have seasonal or year-round allergies, controlling them helps. Allergy drops generally go in before insertion, not into the lens bowl, unless your doctor says otherwise.

    What wearers say

    Wearers who’ve had GPC describe a range. Some returned to full days after a few weeks off, steroid drops, and a change of saline or lens. Others had GPC come back soon after resuming wear and needed a second round of treatment, a new lens design, or a longer break. Wearers with long-running GPC say good backup glasses and a coated lens made flares manageable. A few, told to stop, sought a second opinion from a cornea specialist. And some wearers whose GPC started with soft lenses found scleral lenses easier to tolerate.

    What to ask your eye doctor

    • How severe is my GPC, and how long should I stay out of lenses?
    • What can I use for vision in the meantime?
    • If I’m on steroid drops, when will my eye pressure be checked?
    • What do you think triggered it: deposits, the lens edge, allergy, or something else?
    • When I go back, should I start with shorter days?

    What to ask your fitter

    • Should this lens be replaced, or made in a different material or with a coating?
    • Is my cleaning and disinfecting routine right for my lens?
    • Is the edge rubbing under my upper lid?

    Common questions

    How do I know if I have GPC?

    Only an eye doctor can tell, by turning your upper lid out and looking at its inner lining. Clues that make people ask: itching that's worse after lenses come out, more mucus on the lens, lenses that feel like they ride up or catch, and lenses you can tolerate for fewer hours than before.

    My doctor told me to stop wearing lenses, but I can't see without them. What can I do?

    Tell your doctor how much you depend on the lenses: it may change the plan. Ask what you can use for vision during the break, how long it's likely to be, and whether partial wear is possible. Wearers in this position have asked for a second opinion from a cornea specialist, and some have used other lens types temporarily under their doctor's care.

    Will a new lens fix it?

    Sometimes. A new lens has a fresh surface without built-up deposits, and a different material or a surface coating may suit you better. Wearers also describe GPC returning after they resumed wear, so ask what else should change at the same time.

    Can my nails or hand products play a part?

    Some wearers have wondered about acrylic nails and changed them as a precaution. We found no good evidence either way. Clean hands and a clean lens surface matter more, and long nails can make handling harder.

    Keep reading

    Can I wear scleral lenses if I have eye allergies?

    Usually, yes. Most eye allergies are a nuisance rather than a reason to stop, but they can make lenses less comfortable and coat them with deposits. The main lens-related allergy to know about is giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC), a reaction under the upper eyelid that can happen with any contact lens, including scleral lenses. It usually settles with a break from the lens, better cleaning, and sometimes a new lens or medicated drops. Don't put allergy drops into the lens bowl unless your doctor tells you to.

    What is a scleral lens surface coating?

    A surface treatment changes the outer layer of a scleral lens so tears spread over it more evenly. Plasma treatment is a surface process done by the lab, and Hydra-PEG is a polyethylene glycol coating applied to the lens. In a small double-masked study of scleral lens wearers with dry eye, Hydra-PEG-treated lenses improved comfort, reduced fogging, and lengthened comfortable wearing time. Coatings don't fix every problem, and they can wear off over time.

    What are scleral lenses made of?

    Modern scleral lenses are made of rigid gas permeable plastics, such as fluorosilicone acrylates, that let oxygen pass through to the cornea. A material's oxygen permeability is rated as its Dk; scleral lens materials are generally high-Dk. But a scleral lens is thicker than a regular contact lens and sits over a layer of saline, and both reduce the oxygen that reaches your cornea. So lens thickness and fluid depth matter as much as the material itself.

    Cleaners, multipurpose solutions, and coated lenses

    Scleral cleaning products do four different jobs. A GP multipurpose solution such as Tangible Clean, Boston Simplus, or Unique pH cleans, disinfects, and stores your lenses in one bottle. A separate daily cleaner such as Boston Advance Cleaner is only for rubbing and is rinsed off before the lens is disinfected. Peroxide systems disinfect in their own case, and protein removers or coating treatments are periodic extras. None of them go in the bowl, and coated lenses need products the coating maker lists as compatible.

    Hydrogen peroxide systems for scleral lenses

    A hydrogen peroxide system cleans and disinfects your lenses overnight, then a disc in its special case (or a tablet, in two-step systems) turns the peroxide into water and oxygen. Until that finishes, the solution burns. Use it only in the case that comes with each new bottle, wait the full time on the label, and never rinse or fill a lens with it.

    Sources

    1. Kenny SE, Tye CB, Johnson DA, Kheirkhah A. Giant papillary conjunctivitis: a review. Ocul Surf. 2020;18(3):396-402. doi:10.1016/j.jtos.2020.03.007 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
    2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Contact Lens Risks. Content current as of September 4, 2018. fda.gov

    Last updated October 2, 2026. Found an error or a newer study? Let us know and we'll correct the page.