While you may want to look exactly like your favorite movie character or singer or have the perfect costume for Halloween, choosing to change the appearance of your eyes with contact lenses can be dangerous.
Because these lenses don’t correct vision—they just change the color or shape or appearance of your eye – people may think they are harmless.
But without proper testing and fitting, they can cause damage to your eyes, perhaps even permanent vision loss.
Decorative contact lenses are sometimes called, among other names:
- Fashion contact lenses
- Tinted contact lenses
- Halloween contact lenses
- Color contact lenses
- Cosmetic contact lenses
- Theatre contact lenses
- Non-prescription contact lenses (they’re called this because they don’t correct your vision, but you DO still need a prescription – see below)
When buying decorative lenses, here’s what you should know:
- They are not cosmetics – they are medical devices and as such, are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means that you need to get a prescription from a licensed eye doctor (either an optometrist or ophthalmologist).
- Just like contact lenses that correct your vision, decorative contacts are not “one size fits all.” An eye doctor must measure each eye to properly fit the lenses and evaluate how your eye responds to contact lens wear. And just like corrective contact lenses, a poor fit can cause serious eye damage, including:
- Scratches on the cornea (the clear dome of tissue over the iris – the part of the eye that gives you your eye color)
- Corneal infection (an ulcer on the cornea)
- Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
- Decreased vision
- Blindness
- You should never buy contact lenses from a street vendor, beauty supply store, novelty store or Halloween store. Places that sell decorative lenses without a prescription are not only breaking the law but may give you few or no instructions on how to clean and care for your lenses.
Once you have a contact lens prescription from a licensed eye doctor, you can buy decorative contact lenses from your eye doctor, on the Internet or from a mail-order company. But still be cautious! It’s very important that you only buy contact lenses from a company that sells FDA-cleared or FDA-approved contact lenses and that requires you to provide a prescription. Anyone selling you contact lenses must get your prescription and verify it with your doctor. They should therefore request not only the prescription but the name of your doctor and your doctor’s phone number; if they don’t, find another place to buy your lenses! Right now, there are a lot of products that you can buy without a prescription that may not be safe or legal.
After you’ve purchased your decorative contact lenses from a safe and reputable place, follow the directions for cleaning, disinfecting, and wearing the lenses carefully. It’s also a good idea to visit your eye doctor for follow-up eye exams, but do see your eye doctor right away if you have signs of possible eye infection, such as redness, eye pain that doesn’t go away after a short time, or a decrease in vision.
At Harvard Vanguard, we have 5 practice sites that provide Contact Lens Services – these are:
- Chelmsford – (978) 250-6170
- Concord – (978) 287-9494
- Post Office Square – (617) 654-7150
- Quincy – (617) 774-0780
- Somerville – (617) 629-6280
We also have a number of Optical Shops where you can place an order for your decorative lenses.
Please call us today for an appointment, but whatever you do, please be safe and smart about what you put into your eyes, this Halloween and always.