If the saline runs out on the way up, air takes its place, and that means a bubble. Here's how to keep it in the bowl.
By the Scleral Lens Team · Updated October 2, 2026 · 1 published source cited
The short answer
Keep the inserter upright and your face parallel to the floor, so the lens comes straight up instead of at an angle. Move steadily, not quickly. If saline spills, refill to the brim before you try again, rather than going ahead with a half-empty lens.
Before you start
Time: A few seconds of adjustment per attempt.
An inserter whose cup fits your lens
Fresh preservative-free saline
A flat mirror on the counter
Step by step
1
Check the fit of lens and inserter
The lens should sit snugly in the inserter's cup without rocking. If it wobbles, ask your fitter about a different inserter.
2
Fill to a dome, not an overflow
Fill until the saline domes slightly above the rim. If it's running down the outside of the lens, you've overfilled: let the excess drip off and start up.
3
Hold the inserter straight up and down
Grip it low so it stays vertical. A tilted inserter tips saline over the rim.
4
Bring your face to level
Lean over the mirror until your face is parallel to the floor. Then the lens only has to travel straight up.
5
Move steadily
One smooth, unhurried motion. Jerky or fast movements slosh the saline out.
6
If it spills, refill
Don't go ahead with a half-empty bowl. Top it back up to a dome from a fresh vial, then try again.
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.
Why it matters
The bowl of the lens has to be full when it meets your eye. If saline spills on the way, air takes its place, and that air can end up trapped under the lens as a bubble.
Single-use saline
Most wearers fill from single-use vials: in an international survey of scleral lens practitioners, 67% of patients used single-use vials of non-preserved saline.[1] Open a fresh vial for each insertion session, and throw it away afterward.
Common mistakes
Tilting your head back to see the mirror.
Holding the inserter at an angle.
Rushing the last few centimeters.
Inserting anyway after the saline spilled.
Common questions
Can I just refill from the same vial?
Only during the same insertion session, right after opening it. Single-use vials are meant to be used once and thrown away; don't keep an opened vial for later.
Would an insertion stand stop the spills?
It can help, because the stand holds the lens perfectly upright while you bring your eye down to it. Ask your fitter whether one suits you.
