Contact Lenses: Halloween

Each year, as Halloween approaches, party goers find new and interesting ways to enhance their costumes. Many have turned to decorative contact lenses to complete their ghoulish or fantasy-like looks. Topping off a costume with blood-drenched vampire eyes, glow-in-the-dark lizard lenses or maybe even the newest fad, circle lenses are all cool and trendy options. But most people do not know the sight-stealing consequences behind making these choices. Obtaining decorative lenses including colored contacts and novelty or costume lenses without a prescription is dangerous. And circle lenses, which are becoming increasingly popular with teenage girls, are not FDA-approved. Websites often advertise decorative contacts as if they were cosmetics, fashion accessories or toys. With whimsical, playful packaging and names like Dolly Eyes, their targets are often teens and young adults.

We would like to warn parents and teens that purchasing any contact lenses without an eye examination and a prescription from a licensed eye care professional such as an optometrist can cause serious eye disorders and infections, which may lead to blindness. All contact lenses are medical devices that require a prescription and proper fitting by an eye care professional. Even if someone has perfect vision, they need to get an eye exam and a prescription from an eye care professional in order to wear any kind of contacts, including cosmetic lenses.

Most people believe that decorative lenses don't require the same level of care or consideration as corrective contact lenses because they can be purchased over-the-counter or on the Internet. This is far from the truth.

In fact, permanent eye damage can occur from using over-the-counter lenses. We want to discourage all consumers, especially teens, from buying contact lenses in beauty salons, novelty shops or in Halloween stores.

In the United States a federal law was passed in 2005 that classified all contact lenses as medical devices and restricted their distribution to licensed eye care professionals. Illegal sale of contacts can result in civil penalties of up to $11,000 per violation. Consumers should only buy decorative contact lenses from an eye care professional or a seller who asks for a prescription. You will find the distributors of these contact lenses online are being supplied from the east.

While Halloween is a popular time for people to use decorative contact lenses, it's important to take proper care year-round. To protect the eyes, an eye care professional measures each eye in order to properly fit contacts for the patient. There is no such thing as "one-size-fits-all" contact lenses. Contacts that are not properly fitted may scratch the eye or cause blood vessels to grow into the cornea. Additionally, the eye care professional instructs the patient on appropriate contact lens care. Contacts that are not cleaned and disinfected increase the risk of eye infection. Not everyone is a good candidate for contact lenses whether they have a prescription or are purely decorative lenses.

An eye care professional can assist in helping a patient make a decision that is right for them.