If there doesn't seem to be room for the lens, or your brow and cheek get in the way, technique helps, and so can the lens itself.
By the Scleral Lens Team · Updated October 2, 2026 · 1 published source cited
The short answer
Hold the lids wider, at the lash line, and tuck your chin so your face is level. An insertion stand, which frees both hands for your lids, may help. If it still won't fit through, tell your fitter: scleral lenses come in a range of sizes, and they can choose a different one.
Before you start
Time: A few minutes. Practice helps.
Your usual kit
A flat mirror
Step by step
1
Get your face truly level
Tuck your chin slightly so your face is parallel to the floor. With deep-set eyes, a tilted head lets the brow or cheek catch the lens.
2
Open wider
Hold the upper lid against the brow bone and the lower lid against the cheekbone, right at the lashes.
3
Come straight up the middle
Aim the center of the lens at the center of your eye so the edges clear the lids on both sides.
4
Try a stand
An insertion stand holds the lens still so both hands can hold your lids. Ask your fitter whether it suits you.
5
Talk to your fitter
If the lens still won't pass the lids after a couple of weeks of practice, say so. Lens size is something they can 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.
The lens isn’t one size
Scleral lenses vary in diameter. In an international survey of scleral lens practitioners, lenses ranged from 11.8 mm to 23 mm across, averaging 16.2 mm.[1] Your fitter picks a size based on your eye and on what the lens needs to do, and handling is part of that conversation. If insertion is a struggle because of the size of your eye opening, tell them.
Common mistakes
Tilting the head back.
Holding the lids away from the lash line.
Assuming nothing can be done about lens size.
Common questions
Do scleral lenses come in different sizes?
Yes. In an international survey of scleral lens practitioners, lens diameters ranged from 11.8 mm to 23 mm, with an average of about 16 mm. Your fitter chooses the size for your eye.
Will a smaller lens work as well?
That depends on your eye and your condition. It's a question for your fitter, who balances how easy the lens is to handle against what it needs to do.
