Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Colored Contact Lenses

So you get jealous when you hear Van Morrison crooning about those brown eyed girls, or maybe you wish your green eyes were just a little more vibrant or perhaps you want to take your cosplay game up a notch. Whatever your reason, colored contact lenses can be a convenient, temporary way to enhance or alter your eye color. Wondering if colored contacts are bad for you? Interested in the ins and outs of cosmetic contacts? Look no further than the Fresh Lens guide to colored contacts.

What are Colored Contact Lenses?

Prescription colored contact lenses correct your vision just like regular lenses but have the added benefit of either enhancing your existing eye color or changing it completely. There are also “plano” lenses available with no prescriptive power. They’re simply used for cosmetic purposes. While some lenses have a handling tint, which makes them easier to see, this slight tint doesn’t affect your eye color. Colored contacts have a clear opening in the pupil so you can see and color that goes over the iris or sometimes just on the outer-edge of the iris. They typically fall into one of three main categories:

• Enhancement Tint – These color contacts are tinted but not opaque. They enhance what you’re already working with, hence the name. The result is a natural looking color boost. Brands like FreshLook Dimensions enhance and define color and work well on lighter colored eyes. Or for even subtler results, try something like Acuvue DEFINE, which defines the limbal ring to make whites appear whiter and the eyes more vibrant. It comes in a variety of effects that complement the iris.

• Color Tint – These lenses offer opaque color that totally changes your eye color whether or not your eyes are dark or light. If you’re looking for a bold, dramatic transformation, this is the way to go. Air Optix Colors and FreshLook Colors are excellent examples of color tint lenses.

• Theatrical Lenses – Sometimes called Halloween contact lenses, cosmetic lenses or decorative lenses, these contacts can not only change your eye color but also give you different effects like altering the shape of your pupil. You can rock zombie lenses one day and werewolf ones the next.

How Safe are Colored Contact Lenses?

Colored contact lenses aren’t much different from regular lenses and they’re safe when purchased from a reputable vendor with a prescription. In the U.S., contact lenses are considered medical devices and by law they can’t be sold without a valid prescription from an eye care professional. It’s important to get an eye exam and have the lenses fitted regardless of whether or not they have prescriptive power or they’re plano lenses. Sometimes people worry about how safe Halloween contacts are. These too should be FDA-approved and bought with a prescription. There’s no such thing as one size fits all with contact lenses, even decorative ones. It’s ordering non-sterile, non-FDA-approved lenses in a random size from a disreputable vendor that leads to safety concerns like eye infections and abrasions to the cornea. If you purchase your colored lenses responsibly and wear them according to your eye care professional’s instructions, they will be comfortable and safe.

How do I Care for Colored Contact Lenses?

You care for colored contact lenses the same way you care for traditional lenses. You’ll want to keep them clean and disinfected, wear them only for the amount of time recommended by your eye care professional, replace them according to the recommended schedule, avoid using them if they’re expired and as we mentioned before, only use colored contact lenses that are FDA-approved and ordered with a prescription. Be sure to read over our post on cleaning your contacts for detailed instructions if you’re a contact lens newbie, or even if you just need a refresher.

At Fresh Lens we offer a variety of colored contact lenses for customers in Canada and the U.S. We carry the top brands including Acuvue, Air Optix and FreshLook. Whether you want to add a little something something to your existing color or change it completely, we’ve got you covered.

Related Articles: 

• Are Halloween Eye Contacts Safe?
• 5 Ways to Protect Your Eyes from Eye Strain
• 7 Things College Kids Shouldn't Do With Contact Lenses

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