You might clean your prosthesis every day, or you might prefer to clean it monthly or every several months. You might even choose to clean only your eyelid area at home, allowing your ocularist to clean during your normal polishing appointments every few months. If you’re wearing a conformer, which is a lens that holds the shape of your natural eye, your ocularist will likely instruct you to clean it twice a day.
While prosthetic eyes are typically made to be very durable, there is still a risk that they may be chipped, cracked, or scratched if you drop them onto a hard surface.
If you need to adjust your prosthesis and you don’t have access to soap or running water, use hand sanitizer, instead. However, it’s best to avoid touching your artificial eye as much as possible.
If you need to wipe the eyelid more than once to remove discharge, use a fresh cotton ball or swab each time. If you don’t have a saline solution on hand, boil water to sterilize it, then let it cool and use that instead.
Remember to do this over the towel you placed on your work area. Your ocularist will go over the process of removing your eye with you, but it’s a simple procedure that will get easier with practice. If you have trouble removing your prosthetic eye with your fingers, ask your ocularist for a removal tool that has a suction cup. That way, your prosthesis will stick to it easier.
It’s normal to see some discharge on the prosthetic when you remove it. If you have trouble removing your eye, talk to your ocularist about a suction cup tool that may help.
Avoid using scented soap, since the additives in the fragrance might stay behind and irritate your eyes. Only use mild soap, such as baby shampoo. You should never use chemicals, alcohol, detergents, or disinfectants to clean your prosthesis. [5] X Research source If you have any questions about the type of soap that’s best for your artificial eye, talk to your ocularist.
Be sure to hold the prosthesis over the towel the whole time you’re cleaning it.
You can use boiled, cooled water in place of the saline if you need to.
If that doesn’t work, remove your prosthetic eye and reinsert it.
You’ll likely be prescribed antibiotic eye drops immediately after you get your prosthesis, as well as any time you have an infection in your eye socket. [11] X Trustworthy Source Cancer Research UK U. K. -based cancer research and advocacy charity Go to source
Always talk to your ocularist before you add anything to your daily regimen. You can use oil lubricant and artificial tears at the same time to make it more comfortable to wear.
The lubricants produced by your eye contain protein. Over time, this creates a film that can harden and build up on the surface of the prosthesis.
Typically, you’ll have these appointments about 1-2 times a year.
Your ocularist will likely advise you when it’s time to consider a replacement.
In the case of an infection, you’ll likely be prescribed antibiotic eye drops.
