Things you need to know about color contact lenses
Color contact lenses can be a great way to add variety to your style, looks, or costume (yes, for Halloween and many other occasions!). And you can wear color contacts that don’t have a prescription - they are what we call “plano” or zero-prescription lenses. But before you give your eyes a color makeover, there are some important things to consider.
All contacts are considered medical devices and must be fit by a licensed eyecare provider. What many consumers don’t realize is that a doctor evaluates the health of your eye to make sure a contact lens is appropriate and won’t cause damage while you wear it. They also evaluate whether or not you need vision correction through that contact lens and what type of contact lenses - in terms of lens material, lens curve, and size - will fit your eye.
If fit by an eye doctor, most color contact lenses available in the US are safe. Issues often arise when people don’t care for the lenses appropriately, wear improperly fitted lenses, wear someone else’s contact lenses, wear lenses for an extended period of time, purchase lenses that are “off-brand” that don’t have the same standard of quality as on-brand lenses, purchase lenses without getting fitted by an eye doctor, or sleep in their lenses when they shouldn’t according to the instructions that eye doctors should give to all contact lens wearers.
There are contacts that simply enhance your eye color and don’t change the color of your eye, just make your existing eye color brighter or bolder. There are color contacts that can take a brown eye and make it look blue, and there are color contacts that are “costume” contacts like those used for Halloween and in movies. As long as your eye doctor approves, it’s safe to wear contacts every day. Color contacts made from a breathable material will be some of the healthiest for your eyes along with ones that are daily disposables.
Just remember, you need to care for your contact lenses properly to keep our eyes healthy. After all, contact lenses are considered a Class 2 medical device, which is why they require a prescription from a licensed eye doctor. If they aren’t fit, worn, and cared-for properly, they can cause blurred vision, infection, and even vision loss.
To get fitted for your own color contact lenses, schedule an appointment with our eye doctors.
