Thinking of wearing coloured contact lenses this Halloween? Well, Halloween contact lenses can surely make your costume more dramatic, but they aren’t always safe. Here’s all you need to know about them!
Are Halloween contact lenses safe?
Remember, you place your contact lenses inside the eye. And therefore, they have the potential to cause injuries as well as infections that may lead to vision loss. These can range from corneal abrasions to corneal ulcers: conditions that are painful, and sight threatening. They can also cause irritation, dry eyes, red eyes and persistent discomfort or foreign body sensation.
That said, coloured contact lenses are safe — when prescribed, worn and maintained carefully.
How do I get safe Halloween contact lenses?
Talk to your eye doctor, or optometrist, rathe than buying coloured contact lenses from unscrupulous costume vendors or websites. They will give you a prescription for lens power, as well as the dimensions of the contact lenses.
These precise measurements of the front surface of the eye, and the power required to make your vision 20/20, will ensure you are wearing the correct fit. Moreover, you may have to pay a little extra to buy lenses from a reputable brand. Its a good idea to buy daily disposable lenses to minimise the risk of infection.
If you’re used to wearing contact lenses, you will find it easy to use costume contacts. If you’ve never worn contacts before, you might want to try them out a couple of times before you wear them to your Halloween party. This will help you learn how to use them, and also your eyes will get used to wearing contact lenses.
Your prescribing eye doctor or optometrist will also teach you how to wear and remove your contact lenses, as well as how to take care of them. If you are planning on wearing make up with your Halloween contact lenses, this advice will be invaluable.
Safety tips for Halloween contacts
- Ask your eye doctor to prescribe contact lenses. They will make sure your eyes are suitable for contacts, and will also prescribe the correct power and fit for your eyes.
- Buy from a reputable vendor. Whether you buy from a store or a website online, make sure its from a known brand.
- Follow instructions. Follow your eye doctor’s directions for lens maintenance. Do not sleep with your lens in the eye. Ask your doctor for duration of contact lens wear: most doctors recommend a maximum of eight hours. In case you need more hours of wear, talk to your doctor about extended wear contact lenses.
- Never share your contact lenses. This can lead to infections and potentially disastrous infections and injuries.
- Don’t ignore symptoms. In case of any redness, discomfort, watering or pain, remove your contact lenses immediately, and contact your eye doctor. You may be at risk of developing dangerous infections, if you keep wearing them despite having these symptoms.
- Be careful with with false eyelashes. Fake lashes can irritate the eyes, so choose well.
Happy Halloween!
The whole point of Halloween is having fun. The frightening part of the celebration should not come from a potentially sight threatening complication! Therefore, make sure you keep your eyes safe when having fun.
