Decorative Contact Lenses: Are They Safe to Use?

What are Decorative Contact Lenses?

Though contact lenses are primarily used for vision correction, they are also becoming popular as a fashion accessory. Decorative contact lenses are designed with specific colors that can enhance or change your eye color. Using these types of lenses can be very fun especially if you enjoy mixing up your look or wearing costumes.

Here are some names that people use to refer to decorative contact lenses:

• Cosmetic contact lenses
• Colored contact lenses
• Fashion lenses
• Halloween lenses
• Costume lenses
• Cosplay lenses

Today, millions of people use contact lenses for both vision correction and cosmetic purposes. As a result, decorative lenses are steadily becoming more popular amongst fashion fans, costume lovers, and regular users. In fact, you can even buy contact lenses that are specifically made for cosplay!

Different Types of Decorative Contact Lenses

There are many types of contact lenses that are available in the market right now. Most of the lenses today offer different features that cater to specific user needs. For example, you can buy one-time-use or disposable lenses if you want to avoid the hassles of cleaning them daily.

Specifically for decorative contact lenses, you can choose different types of lenses that provide subtle to extreme effects. Here are some of the common types of decorative lenses that you can try:

1. Enhancement Tint Lenses

As the name suggests, enhancement tints are designed to intensify your natural eye color. This lens is perfect for people who have light eyes and want to make them look more interesting.

2. Opaque Tint Lenses

Opaque tints have solid colors that can fully cover your natural eye color. This is what you typically use if you want to drastically change your eyes with a specific color. This is also good for people with dark eyes who want to change their look.

3. Multi-Tone Colored Lenses

Similar to opaque lenses, multi-tone colored contacts can completely change your eye color. However, this type of lens offers more color depth that provides a more natural look. This type of lens comes in a different number of color tones that offer varying degrees of depth, detail, and style.

4. Cosplay Contact Lenses

Cosplay lenses have an opaque tint along with specialized designs that can’t get with regular colored lenses. You can use cosplay lenses to look like a doll or cartoon character. You can even get cosplay lenses that are specifically made to mimic the eyes of famous anime characters.

Are Decorative Contact Lenses Safe?

With the growing popularity of decorative contact lenses, people often wonder if they are really safe to use. After all, contact lenses were primarily designed to be visual aids rather than fashion accessories. But with modern capabilities, popular brands now offer colored lenses that cater to people who don’t necessarily have eye problems. In other words, decorative lenses are perfectly safe to use as long as you buy from the right seller. You can even get a pair that has both corrective and cosmetic capabilities—cool, right?

Although decorative lenses are safe to use, there are still a few important guidelines that you need to follow. After all, contact lenses are still medical accessories that may harm your eyes if not used properly. Luckily, you can follow these tips to keep your eyes safe as you explore the beauty of cosmetic lenses:

1. Get a contact lens prescription

The most important part of your contact lens journey is to get a contact lens prescription. Your prescription will dictate the specifications for the contact lenses that suit your eyes. In other words, buying lenses without a prescription can lead to inappropriate lens specifications and possible eye damage.

2. Visit an eye doctor

Getting a contact lens prescription is easier than you may think. All you need to do is visit a certified eye doctor and have your eyes checked. It’ll only take your doctor a few minutes to run the tests and give you your prescription. You can also ask for recommendations on what type of lens to get or what brand to consider.

3. Find lenses that fit your needs

The best contact lenses often depend on what suits your specific needs. For people who want to subtly enhance their eye color, enhancement tints may do the trick. On the other hand, people who like intense changes may prefer to use opaque tints and cosplay lenses. When picking out your lenses, always consider why you need them and how often you’ll wear them.

4. Follow good contact lens habits

Once you have your lenses, the next step is to learn how to use them properly. This is as simple as learning how to put them on correctly and knowing how long you are allowed to wear them. Some contact lenses can be harmful when you wear them too long so make sure to read their instructions and follow them accordingly.

5. Maintain your lenses properly

Keeping your lenses clean is essential if you want to avoid eye problems. There are different types of lenses and cleaning systems, each with its own unique ways of keeping your lenses clean. But for common users, you generally need to use a disinfecting solution to remove any bacteria build up on your lenses. You should only wash your lenses with the right disinfecting solution to avoid damaging your lens and your eyes.

6. Know the basic dos and don’ts of contact lens use

There are a few important things that you need to know about lens care. For example, you should always wash your hands before you handle your lenses to avoid contaminating them. You should also avoid sleeping with your contact lenses on because it can lead to eye problems. Finally, you should always read the instructions on the packaging of your contact lenses and solutions to avoid misusing them.

Risks of Using Decorative Contact Lenses

Despite the advancements in contact lens technology, using contacts still poses a few risks—this applies to both decorative and corrective lenses. After all, contact lenses are medical accessories that require a certain level of care to ensure safe usage.

If you want to fully enjoy your decorative contact lenses, you need to make sure you’re using them properly. After all, nobody wants to deal with eye irritations and contact lens issues, right? Keeping your eyes safe from harm is easy as long as you follow the right guidelines and do the right things. 

Safety Tips for Using Decorative Contact Lenses

Changing your eye color can be fun, however, the use of lenses doesn’t come without risks. Luckily, we’ve prepared some easy-to-follow guidelines that can help you maximize your contact lens experience.

1. Don’t use them for too long

Generally, you should always avoid wearing your lenses too long as it may lead to eye irritation. For example, your lenses may block oxygen from effectively reaching your eyes which could lead to ocular problems. Additionally, wearing your lenses for too long can dry out your eyes and make them more susceptible to scratches.

2. Keep your eyes moist

Wearing decorative lenses can be so fun that you might lose track of time. In fact, some lenses are so comfortable that you may even forget you’re wearing them at all. When this happens, you’re putting your eyes at risk of drying up and being more sensitive to damage. When your eyes dry up, your lenses may start to irritate your eyes which could lead to big problems if unattended. To avoid this issue, always carry around a pair of eye moistening solutions or find time to remove your lenses so your eyes can rest.

3. Watch for signs of irritation

There are many reasons why your lenses could irritate your eyes. Whether it’s from allergies or dryness, contact lens irritation should never be taken lightly. With this in mind, you should remove your lenses immediately when you feel any signs of discomfort. If your irritation persists, it is advisable that you visit an eye doctor as soon as possible.

4. Clean them with the right solution

You should only clean your lenses with the right disinfecting solution. Using inappropriate solutions for your lenses could damage them and ultimately damage your eyes. In fact, washing your lenses with water could lead to ocular diseases that can harm your vision. To avoid damaging your lenses, make sure to get the right clean products for your lens care system.

5. Never share your lenses

Sharing your contact lenses with friends or family is one of the worst things that you can do. Contact lenses are designed to fit the owner’s eye shape. This means that sharing lenses could lead to the wrong fit, wrong lens power, and possible eye damage. Additionally, sharing lenses is very unhygienic and could lead to passing infectious diseases amongst your peers.

6. Never use expired contact lenses

Contact lenses don’t last forever so you should always discard expired ones. Reusing contact lenses could lead to a number of problems like eye infections, corneal scratches, irritation, and possible vision loss. Put simply, expired lenses are no longer fit for use and should properly be thrown away. 

7. Never buy contact lenses from a suspicious seller

Some online shops may sell low-quality lenses for cheaper prices. You should never buy from these sellers as their lenses could lead to serious eye problems and potential vision loss. If you want to keep your eyes safe, make sure to buy your lenses from reliable brands, retail sellers, and eye clinics. Additionally, never buy lenses from a seller that doesn’t require a contact lens prescription!

Final Thoughts

Decorative contact lenses are perfectly safe to use as long as you follow the right guidelines. By following the right processes, like getting a prescription and buying from a reliable source, you can fully enjoy your lenses without worry. With this in mind, you shouldn’t hesitate to start looking for the best decorative lenses to change your appearance. Whether you want subtle eye changes or drastically change your eye color, the perfect lenses are out there for you to discover!

Related Blogs:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT COSPLAY COLORED CONTACT LENSES

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF DAILY DISPOSABLE CONTACT LENSES

HOW COLORED CONTACT LENSES CHANGE YOUR APPEARANCE

CONTACT LENS CARE: PREVENT EYE INFECTION AS YOU KEEP YOUR CONTACT LENSES CLEAN

References:

Development of contact lenses and their worldwide use

Water related ocular diseases