Washing face while wearing contacts dangerous, says Thomas Steinemann

Do you wash your face while wearing contact lenses? If so, beware.

Allure: Even washing your face while wearing contacts can be dangerous to the eye. “This exposes the eyes to Acanthamoeba, an organism that commonly lives in tap water and lakes and can lead to difficult to treat, painful, and even blinding infections,” said Thomas L. Steinemann, professor of ophthalmology. “Tap water is pure to drink, but it’s not sterile.”