With Halloween fast approaching, you might be considering using decorative contacts to change your eye color for some dramatic costume. If that’s the case, think again. Many decorative contacts are incredibly dangerous. Here is everything that you need to know about decorative contacts and eye safety.
All of the risks of decorative contacts— Decorative contact lenses are overseen and regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and for good reason. Although decorative contact lenses simply change the look of your eyes and do not correct your vision, wearing decorate lenses can cause serious damage to your eyes if you did not obtain the lenses with a prescription or worn incorrectly. Possible risks include: redness, pain, scratches on the top layer of your eye (corneal abrasions), infection, decreased vision, and even blindness.
Proper decorative contact lens safety— Yes, you can still buy decorative contact lenses from your eye doctor or even the internet. However, it is absolutely essential that you only order lenses from a company that is FDA approved and requires an actual, eye doctor verified prescription. If the company does not request or verify your prescription, they are breaking federal law and are probably selling you illegal (and dangerous) contact lenses.
The bottom line on decorative contacts and eye safety— Even if it seems like there are a lot of cheap or convenient decorative contacts out there that you feel like would just perfectly augment your Halloween costume, don’t sacrifice your eye safety. Never, ever buy contact lenses without a prescription. Visit your eye doctor right away if you notice any pain or redness after wearing any type of contacts, and closely follow the directions for cleaning, disinfecting, and wearing any type of lenses.
Don’t let fashion interfere with your eye safety and health! Book your appointment with your Valley Eyecare Center eye doctor. Call us at 602-955-2700 or schedule online today.
