Planning to Wear Novelty Contact Lenses This Halloween? Read This First!
Halloween is just around the corner, and you know what this means. Kids going around the neighbourhood dressed up in their favourite horror or fantasy characters and holding small plastic buckets while trick-or-treating. Jack-o-lanterns, skeletons, fake cobwebs, and other spooky decorations all over the yard.
But adults usually take the cosplaying up a notch. We wear more elaborate costumes, striking make-up, and wigs that warrant a second look. Some even take it to a whole new level by wearing unique cosmetic or novelty contact lenses.
Are you one of those people who is planning to party with friends wearing a vampire costume? You can find novelty in different colours to go with your costume. Other eye-catching cosmetic lenses also include all whites, all blacks, and there are even those that resemble cat’s eyes.
However, before you purchase and wear those novelty lenses, know that there are some things you need to keep in mind. Contact lenses are generally safe to use when prescribed and when used correctly. But it’s a different matter entirely for cosmetic contact lenses for Halloween that you can buy over-the-counter or online.
Take, for example, the case of this American woman who was rushed to the hospital after wearing ill-fitting Halloween-themed cosmetic lenses for several hours during the holiday. It resulted in eye irritation and injury and nearly cost her her vision.
The wrong fit is just one of the many dangers of cosmetic lenses that are usually sold online. Some novelty lenses come from shady manufacturers who do not comply with the safety rules laid out by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. These lenses were found to have colourants and other chemicals that could irritate or damage your eyes.
Toxic chemicals are just one of the things you need to worry about when buying cosmetic contact lenses. Some are being handled improperly during the manufacturing or packaging process. Improper handling leaves behind bacteria and fungi that can infect and damage your eyes.
Planning to ditch cosmetic contact lenses altogether? Hold your horses! There are ways you can complete your Halloween getup, wear novelty lenses, and keep your eyes safe and free from damage. Check out our tips below.
- Visit your optometrist and ask them for a prescription for cosmetic and novelty lenses. Are you looking for contact lenses that will complete your sexy vampire or devil look? You can still achieve the look while ensuring that your eyes are safe by talking to your optometrist and asking for a prescription. Your doctor will ask you to undergo an examination to ensure that you don’t have a condition that can be exacerbated by the use of the wrong kind of contact lenses.
During the examination, you’ll learn about the power number of your contact lenses. But more than that, you’ll also learn which brand is safe to use, as well as the right size and material of lenses for your eyes.
- Make sure that the contact lenses fit your eyes. Contact lenses are not one-size-fits-all, and ill-fitting ones can damage your eyes. That’s why we recommend that you get only cosmetic ones that truly fit you to prevent irritation, infection, or even vision loss.
- Follow safety guidelines when wearing novelty contact lenses. That means washing your hands carefully before touching and putting on your contacts, and placing them in a contact lens cleaner to get rid of germs. It’s also important not to share your contact lenses with anyone else (you wouldn’t share your toothbrush, would you?). Do not forget to remove them before going to sleep and don’t keep them on too long to prevent irritation.