The short version: keep it out
A scleral lens with a crack or chip doesn’t go back in your eye. Wearers who have been through it are firm on this, and for good reason: a chip weakens the lens, a rough edge can scratch the surface of your eye, and a cracked lens can break apart while you’re wearing it. Some wearers describe a lens that felt slightly odd for a day, then snapped during removal.
If you’re not sure whether a mark is a chip or a deposit that won’t rub off, treat it as a chip until your fitter has looked at it. A lighted magnifier helps you check a lens edge, but your fitter’s microscope is the real test.
What to do today
- Put the lens, and every piece of it, in a clean case. Don’t throw anything away. Some lab warranties ask for the broken lens, and your fitter may want to see where it failed.
- Call your fitter’s office. Tell them which eye, when it broke, and how. Ask whether the lens is still under warranty and how long a replacement will take.
- Switch to your backup plan. That’s your glasses, or a backup lens your fitter has approved. The FDA advises every lens wearer to keep a backup pair of glasses with a current prescription for exactly this kind of day.[2]
- Check your eye. If you were wearing the lens when it broke, or your eye hurts afterward, see the warning box below.
Replacement and warranties
How this goes depends on your fitter and the lab that made the lens, so ask rather than assume. What wearers commonly report:
- New lenses are often under warranty. A lens that breaks during the fitting period, or soon after the final pair arrives, is frequently replaced at no charge or reduced cost. The window varies by lab, so ask how long yours is.
- Older lenses usually cost something to replace, but a straight remake of a lens that fit well is often cheaper than a full new fitting.
- Timing varies. A fitter who works with a nearby lab can sometimes replace a lens quickly. Others wait days or weeks, especially when the lab is far away.
- Insurance occasionally helps. Some wearers found a medical plan covered a medically necessary replacement, sometimes after the fitter wrote to the insurer. Others found nothing covered breakage. See paying with an HSA or FSA for other ways to pay.
If a lens cracked or shattered during ordinary careful handling, you can ask your fitter whether it’s worth reporting. The FDA accepts reports of contact lens problems through its MedWatch program.[3]
Why lenses crack
Scleral lenses are sturdy, and many wearers go years without a break. When one does go, the same few causes come up again and again:
- Pinching or squeezing. The cupped shape can snap if it’s pinched between fingers while rubbing or rinsing. Most wearers clean in the palm with a gentle fingertip.
- Peroxide case baskets. Large lenses can catch in a basket that’s snapped shut. Many wearers close the basket gently, or lower the lens holder onto the basket instead of lifting the basket up, so the edge doesn’t catch.
- Dropped lenses. A lens on the floor is easy to step on. If you drop one, stop moving and look before you step. See dropped your lens?
- Hard cleaning tools. Scrubbing with a plunger or a cotton swab can stress or scratch a lens. Ask your fitter what’s safe for yours.
- Knocks and accidents. A case knocked off a counter, a lens in a pocket, a ball to the face. Sports eye protection matters if you play.
- Sometimes, no clear reason. Wearers do report lenses that cracked with no obvious cause. That isn’t your fault, and it’s worth mentioning to your fitter.
Do
- Handle lenses over a towel, seated, with the sink drain closed.
- Rub-clean in your palm with a gentle fingertip.
- Close peroxide baskets gently, without snapping.
- Check lenses for chips after any drop or knock.
- Keep a backup lens or current glasses ready.
Don’t
- Wear a lens with a crack or chip, even briefly.
- Pinch the lens hard between two fingers.
- Scrub with a plunger or cotton swab unless your fitter says so.
- Throw away the pieces before your fitter has seen them.
- Glue, sand, or polish a damaged lens yourself.
What wearers say
Breakage is one of the most stressful things wearers describe, especially people who rely on a single lens or who are away from home. A few themes come up:
- A backup is what makes it bearable. Wearers who kept their previous pair, or paid for a spare, often describe a broken lens as an inconvenience. Those with no backup describe a hard week or two.
- Travel makes it harder. Lenses do break on vacation. Wearers who coped well called their fitter straight away and had a replacement shipped, rather than cancelling plans.
- Breaks sometimes cluster. When several lenses crack in the same case or during the same step, wearers often found the cause in that step.
What to ask your fitter
- Is this lens still under warranty, and do you need the broken pieces?
- How long will a replacement take? Can it be expedited?
- Should I wear my old lens or my glasses while I wait?
- Should I have a spare lens? What would it involve?
- Is anything in my routine, like my case or cleaning method, likely to have caused this?
When it’s time to think about a new pair anyway, see when to replace your scleral lenses. And for a kit that helps on bad days, see the emergency kit.
Common questions
It's only a tiny chip on the edge. Is that really a problem?
Yes. The edge is the part that rests on your eye and slides under your lids, and a chip there can scratch. A chip also weakens the lens, and wearers describe small nicks and spots that later turned into full cracks. Keep it out and let your fitter look at it.
Will my replacement be free?
It depends on how old the lens is and your fitter's and lab's policies. Many wearers whose lens broke during the fitting period or soon after were covered. Outside that window you'll usually pay for the lens, but often not a whole new fitting. Ask the office directly; it costs nothing to ask.
Can I wear an old lens from a previous pair while I wait?
Many wearers do, but ask your fitter first. An old lens may not match your eye or prescription anymore, and a lens stored for a long time can warp. If your fitter agrees, clean and disinfect it fully before you wear it.
My lens broke while it was in my eye. What do I do?
Don't rub your eye. If you can remove the pieces easily with your usual method, do so. If you can't, if a piece seems stuck, or if your eye hurts, is red, or your vision is blurry afterward, get seen by an eye doctor that day.