In honor of Halloween, Fresh Lens will be addressing the age-old – or at least a few decades old – question: Are Halloween contact lenses safe? While the answer is, yes, decorative contact lenses are perfectly fine if purchased and used responsibly, there are some considerations to keep in mind when dressing up your eyeballs. Often times in a quest for cheap Halloween contact lenses without a prescription, people cut corners and put themselves at risk. Well, boys and ghouls, we’re here to ensure your eyes stay healthy and infection-free with our guide to special effects contact lens safety.
What are Halloween Contact Lenses?
Halloween contact lenses, also known as decorative, special effects or theatrical contact lenses, are soft contacts available for novelty purposes. They can change the color of your eyes and create dramatic effects like cat eyes, vampire eyes, zombie eyes, or whatever you please. Scleral contact lenses actually cover your iris (the colored part of your eye) and the whites of your eyes to give the entire eyeball a crazy look, for example all-black eyes or all all-red eyes. Halloween contact lenses are available with corrective power for those who are nearsighted, farsighted or have astigmatism and as plano lenses, or lenses without prescriptive power, for people who don’t need help seeing clearly.
Can Halloween Contacts Damage Your Eyes?
If you don’t purchase your special effects lenses from a reputable source with a prescription, they can cause infection and damage. All contact lenses, even Halloween lenses, are considered medical devices and are regulated by the FDA. While you might be in the market for non-prescription colored contacts, as in they don’t alter your vision, you still need an actual prescription to order them legally. You must see an eye care professional who will measure your eyes and fit the lens properly. When lenses don’t fit correctly, they can cause scratches on the eye, infections of the cornea, pink eye (conjunctivitis), decreased vision and, in extreme cases, blindness. If the establishment you’re buying contact lenses from doesn’t ask for your prescription and verify it with your eye doctor, they’re breaking federal law and you shouldn’t use them. In general, avoid purchasing Halloween contacts from flea markets, costume or novelty stores, street vendors or beauty supply stores. Always opt for FDA-approved contact lens suppliers.
Wearing Decorative Contact Lenses Safely
So, you have a prescription, you’ve lined up some legal contact lens sources and you’re ready to take your Halloween costume to the next level. Now what? Proper lens care is what! Be sure to ask your eye care professional for instructions for using contacts and read our helpful post on cleaning your contact lenses. Obviously, you’ll need to take the usual steps like taking them out at night and storing them in contact lens solution, washing your hands before handling them, and never, ever, ever sharing your lenses with anyone else. If you notice any discomfort, redness or discharge make sure you remove them and call a doctor right away.
Hopefully that clears up any concerns you have about the safety of theatrical contact lenses. Put the health of your eyes first and rock those creepy zombie lenses in style. Be sure to visit Fresh Lens to order affordable contact lenses online to wear throughout the rest of the year. Happy Halloween!
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