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    Wearing guide

    The lens popped out during the day

    If a lens comes out unexpectedly, the goal is to keep it clean and undamaged, and to see well enough to get home. A small kit makes that easy.

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

    The short answer

    Find the lens and keep it safe. Don't wet it with water or saliva. If you have clean hands, fresh saline, and your inserter, you can rinse it, refill it, and reinsert. If not, store it in a clean case with fresh solution and wear your glasses. If it happens more than once, tell your fitter.

    Before you start

    Time: A few minutes, if you have your kit.

    • An emergency kit: a few saline vials, an inserter and remover, a small bottle of your solution, a clean case
    • Your glasses

    Step by step

    1. Find it

      Check your cheek, clothes, lap, and the floor around you before you move.

    2. Keep it away from water

      Never rinse it under a tap or wet it with saliva.

    3. Wash and dry your hands

      Before you handle the lens, if you can.

    4. Reinsert if you have what you need

      Rinse the lens with preservative-free saline, refill to the brim from a fresh vial, and reinsert. Do the three checks.

    5. Otherwise, store it

      Put the lens in a clean case with fresh disinfecting solution, wear your glasses, and clean and disinfect it fully at home before wearing it again.

    6. Tell your fitter if it keeps happening

      A lens that pops out more than occasionally may need a fit change.

    These are general steps. If your fitter taught you differently, follow your fitter: your lens and eyes are theirs to know. Print the mirror cards to keep by your sink.

    Build a small kit

    Keep an emergency kit wherever you spend your day: in your bag, at your desk, in the car. A few single-use saline vials, a backup inserter and remover, a small bottle of your solution, a clean case, and your glasses turn a popped-out lens into a minor inconvenience.

    Buy travel-size solutions rather than pouring solution into smaller bottles, which the FDA advises against.[1]

    Your glasses are your backup

    The FDA recommends always having a backup pair of glasses with a current prescription.[2] On days a lens can’t go back in, they’re how you get home.

    Never water, never saliva

    Don’t expose your lenses to tap, bottled, or distilled water, or wet them with saliva. Tap and distilled water have been linked to Acanthamoeba keratitis, a corneal infection that is hard to treat.[1]

    Common mistakes

    • Rinsing the lens with tap or bottled water.
    • Putting it back in after it touched the floor without cleaning and disinfecting it.
    • Leaving home without glasses or a kit.

    Common questions

    Should a scleral lens ever pop out?

    Mention it to your fitter if it happens, especially more than once. It can point to how the lens fits, which they can adjust.

    What should be in an emergency kit?

    A few single-use saline vials, a backup inserter and remover, a small bottle of your solution, a clean case, and your glasses. Keep one in your bag, car, or desk.

    Can I carry my solution in a small travel bottle?

    No. The FDA advises against transferring contact lens solutions into smaller travel bottles. Buy travel sizes instead.

    Keep going

    Guide

    The scleral lens daily routine

    Mornings: wash your hands, inspect and rinse the lenses, fill with preservative-free saline, insert, and empty and air-dry the case. Nights: remove over a towel, rub each side with your cleaner, and store in fresh solution, never topping off. Replace your case every three months.

    Guide

    Dropped your scleral lens?

    Stop moving and look before you step. Pick the lens up gently, then don't put it straight back in: rinse it with fresh solution and clean and disinfect it fully, never with water. Check it for chips or cracks before wearing it again. If it's damaged, wear your glasses and call your fitter.

    Sources

    1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Contact Lens Solutions and Products. fda.gov
    2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Everyday Eye Care (contact lenses). Content current as of December 4, 2023. fda.gov

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