A Halloween Scare: Contact Lenses

Here’s one Halloween scare to avoid: Costume contact lenses. 

Costume contact lenses can alter your eyes’ look without correcting your vision. These lenses can change the color of your eyes, add your favorite team’s emblem, or provide a frightful appearance for a Halloween costume.

Costume contact lenses can cause serious and permanent eye damage.

What are costume lenses?

Also known as cosmetic or fashion lenses, costume lenses  are typically sold by businesses that don’t specialize in eye care. They’re considered just another accessory, like costume jewelry, scarves, or no-correction glasses.

Costume contact lenses , also known as cosmetic or decorative contact lenses, are contact lenses that dramatically change how your eyes look, from changing the eye’s color to adding effects such as blood, flames or bright colors.

But, costume lenses are not as innocent as they appear and can even cause permanent blindness.

Contact lenses are medical devices that require a proper lens fitting and should only be obtained with an eye doctor’s prescription.

Why are Halloween contacts dangerous?

Contact lenses that are not prescribed by an eye doctor can cut, scratch and infect your eye if they don’t fit exactly right.

All contact lenses need a complete optometrist’s examination and fitting as all contact lenses are customized to each individual.

Non-prescribed lenses can cause corneal abrasions, corneal ulcers and potentially blinding, painful bacterial infections like keratitis. 

Costume contact lenses also might let less oxygen through to the eye because the paints and pigments used to add color make the lenses thicker and less breathable.

Schedule a contact lens fitting with an eye doctor near you so that you can safely wear lenses this Halloween.