5th, June 2020 | Oh Jinna
Should You Buy Contact Lenses Online?
Is it Safe to Buy Contact Lenses Online?
Contact lenses are becoming more than just a vision aid. From actresses to models, you can now see influential personalities using cosmetic lenses. In fact, they’re so popular that millions of people around the world use contact lenses!
And with the convenience of online shopping, one could wonder if it’s really safe to buy contact lenses online. After all, the internet is filled with scammers who sell fake products that could harm your eyes.
Why Buy Contact Lenses Online?
There are many reasons why people consider buying lenses online. For example, you can easily browse through different websites to pick through hundreds of options.
You don’t even have to go outside and visit different shops. Additionally, you can just stay at home and buy your ideal lenses whenever you want to.
Buying lenses may seem scary at first especially when you encounter illegal sellers online. However, there are also legitimate shops that sell high-quality eye products like contacts, eyedrops, and solutions to name a few.
You simply need to be careful and make sure that the shop or seller is certified to sell these products.
To sum it up, there could be nothing more convenient than buying lense online. However, there are few precautionary measures that you need to follow.
In fact, we have a few guidelines that you can follow to buy contact lenses online safely.
How to Buy Contact Lenses Online Safely
Do you want to try buying contact lenses that you’ve seen online? Colored lenses can be really fun to play around with. You can buy lenses to enhance or change your natural eye color.
In fact, there are different kinds of cosmetic lenses that you can choose from. All of which are designed to give you a specific look and style. So if you want to buy contact lenses online, make sure you read our important guidelines.
1. Take an eye exam
You need to take an eye exam if you’re planning to buy contact lenses online. Doctors usually urge people to take a regular exam at least once a year.
Aside from the common eye problems that we usually miss, we are also prone to serious eye problems. In some cases, the early symptoms of a serious eye problem may be hard to detect.
However, frequent eye examinations can help you spot early symptoms before they get worse. In other words, regular eye exams can help you prevent potential vision problems.
Be careful of eye examinations online
You need to take an eye exam because you can’t buy contact lenses without a prescription. But don’t worry because eye exams are fairly quick and easy.
In fact, you just have to book an appointment with a reliable eye doctor. Next, you can visit the clinic and have your eyes checked for a few minutes. Afterwards, your doctor will give you the correct prescription for contact lenses.
However, you should be wary of shops that offer online eye examinations. The services that they offer may not provide accurate results.
Which means that you won’t be able to diagnose possible eye problems and receive an accurate prescription.
As convenient as they may seem, eye exams are not a good alternative for an real-time eye examination.
After all, you need a certified doctor to personally check the health and needs of your eyes.
2. Understand your contact lens prescription
After you get your eye checked, you need to check your lens prescription. Learning to understand your contact lens prescription can help you pick the right lenses for your eyes.
Your prescription contains important information about the shape and size of your eyes. This means that the qualities of your contact lens will depend on your prescription. You’ll normally see the following information:
- Expiration Date
- Refractive Power (PWR)
- Base Curve (BC)
- Cylinder (CYL)
- Axis
- Add Power (ADD)
- Color
Eyeglass Prescription vs Contact Lens Prescription
The prescription for your eyeglasses is different from a contact lens prescription. This is due to the different factors that glasses and contacts have.
For example, your eyeglasses don’t sit directly on your eyes unlike your contacts. As a result, your glasses and contact will need different lens powers to effectively suit your vision.
So if you own a pair of glasses, you still need to get a new prescription for contact lenses.
3. Choose a reliable brand
If you’re buying contact lens products online, you might as well choose well-known brands. There are a lot of retail sellers online who may be selling unreliable products like lens solutions and colored contacts.
With this in mind, you have more chances of purchasing safe products if you search for well-known brands. For example, brands like ACUVUE, DAILIES, and AIR OPTIX are very popular, easy to find, and reliable.
4. Review Your Options
Have you tried looking around and asking your friends? When you’re looking for amazing buys, you need to do a little research. You can start by asking your friends if they’ve tried buying contact lenses online.
If your friends use contacts, they might already know a thing or two about purchasing them online. They can even give some tips on which brands to choose and which ones to avoid.
Window Shop
Window shopping is also a great way to weigh out your options. The best part about online shopping is that you don’t have to walk around to look for different shops.
In fact, everything you need is right at the tip of your fingers. Try searching for online shops that have high-quality designs. They’ll most likely have more options that are safe to buy.
Add to Cart
Having an Add to Cart feature is also one of the cool things about shopping online. You can easily save the products that catch your attention and review them all when you’re ready to pick your choice.
Review the Shop’s Ratings
Shopping online can lead to both good and bad purchases. The determining factor lies heavily on how well you check the seller’s credibility. For starters, you can check the ratings and reviews that their customers leave.
Check the Stars
In most websites, you can look for sellers that have more than 3 stars. You can even check out reviews and comments to see the personal experiences of their customers. Don’t forget to use these guidelines when you buy contact lenses online!
5. Buy Lens-Care Products
If you’re buying contact lenses online, you might as well include some lens care essentials. Unlike eyeglasses, contact lenses need a little more care and cleaning.
From putting them on to storing them at night, you have to keep your lenses fresh and usable. Additionally, you also need to have cleaning products like disinfecting solutions and a case.
Taking Care of Your Lenses
Do you know how to keep your contact lenses clean and safe to use? This may come as a surprise, but out of millions of contact lens users, 90 percent have bad hygiene habits.
This means that most lens owners are unconsciously putting their eye health at risk. Luckily, we have a couple of easy lens care guidelines for you to follow:
- Always wash your hands before touching your contact lenses.
- Clean off any lotion or other substance from your hand as they may damage your lenses.
- Never clean your lenses with tap water or any other water in general.
- Always remove your lenses before you sleep.
- Store your lenses in their proper case every night.
- Refill your lens case with a fresh solution whenever you take out your lenses.
- You should always throw away old solutions from your case before refilling it.
- Different types of contact lenses have different lens care needs so make sure to know what’s right for your pair.
- Always store your lens case in a dry and clean environment.
- Never store your case in a damp room like the bathroom.
- You must never share your contact lenses with anyone.
- Don’t reuse damaged or expired contact lenses as they may harm your eyes.
- Never wear your lenses when your eyes are dry or irritated.
- Find articles and tips on how to practice proper contact lens care habits.
Buy Contact Lens Online Conclusion
Contact lenses are both fun and functional accessories that you can enjoy. In fact, a lot of people enjoy using colored contact lenses to enhance their looks.
You may even notice a couple of models or actresses using them. Additionally, you can also get amazing designs that are perfect for cosplaying. With its growing popularity, you can even buy various types of lenses online.
In conclusion, it’s very safe for you to buy contact lenses online if you follow the right precautions.
After all, you are fully responsible for what you choose to buy. Just remember to check the credibility of the shop or seller before you decide on anything.
Additionally, you should also check their customer reviews and ratings to be sure.
Finally, you can personally send the seller a message so that you can find out more about their shop. Just make sure to have a contact lens prescription beforehand, ok?
Related Blogs:
LOOKING FOR THE BEST COLORED CONTACTS?
5 COMMON EYE PROBLEMS THAT WE USUALLY MISS
UNDERSTAND YOUR CONTACT LENS PRESCRIPTION
TYPES OF CONTACT LENS SOLUTION YOU NEED TO KNOW
5 TYPES OF CONTACT LENSES THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
TIPS FOR PROPER CONTACT LENS CARE
CHOOSE THE BEST COLORED CONTACT LENS FOR YOU
References:
Development of Contact Lenses and Their Worldwide Use
Reporting Contact Lens Violations
Halloween Hazard: Never Buy Decorative Contact Lenses Without a Prescription
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