Toric for Astigmatism: Find your Toric lens with comfort and quality
See details

27th, December 2021 | Donna

Are Cosmetic Colored Contacts Risky Eye Accessories?

What are Cosmetic Colored Contacts?

Have ever seen movie stars, models, and influencers with gorgeous-looking eyes? Cosmetic colored contacts are contact lenses that people use to enhance or change their eye color. By using colored contact lenses, famous personalities can add a little spice to their gaze during photoshoots, video shoots, and more.

Though cosmetic colored contacts offer brilliant effects to your eyes, a lot of people still question their safety. After all, not everyone enjoys putting colorful accessories directly on their eyes, right?

In other words, are colored lenses safe to use, or are they risky eye accessories that you need to avoid?

Cosmetic Colored Contacts vs Prescription Contact Lenses

Before we talk about the risks related to cosmetic contact lenses, we need to differentiate them from prescription lenses. Yes, cosmetic lenses and prescription lenses are both contact lenses that have very different uses.

Prescription Contact Lenses. Prescription contact lenses are designed to correct your vision if you suffer from refractive errors. Similar to corrective eyeglasses, prescription contact lenses have lens power that enables your eyes to see clearer. You should get prescription contacts if you suffer from problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia to name a few.

Cosmetic Colored Contact Lenses. Unlike prescription lenses, cosmetic contacts are primarily designed as cosmetic accessories. This means that people with perfect vision can use these lenses for the sole purpose of changing their eye color. People have found lots of cool ways to use cosmetic colored contacts as fun fashion accessories, which we’ll discuss later on in this article.

Colored Prescription Contact Lenses. Do you need contacts for your blurry vision but also want to change your eye color? If so, you’re in luck because there are prescription lenses that come in colorful tints! With the advancements of lens manufacturing, famous contact lens brands now offer contacts with both lens power and colored tints. This means that people who suffer from refractive errors can now fix their vision and change their eye color at the same time!

Why Cosmetic Colored Contacts are Popular

Did you know that millions of people all over the world use contact lenses? Though most of them use contacts for vision correction, the popularity of colored lenses is continuously rising. In fact, the European cosmetic contact lens market accounted for over 165 million US dollars in 2017 alone. That’s a lot of money spent on cosmetic colored contacts, right?

The popularity that colored contact lenses have is undeniable. However, the real question is why they’re so popular in the first place. You’d be surprised at how simple and alluring the answer to that question is.

Ways People Use Cosmetic Colored Contacts to Gain Popularity

First of all, cosmetic contact lenses change people’s appearance. This helps attract a lot of attention and intrigue which prompts more people to try colored lenses for themselves.

Put simply, the popularity of cosmetic lenses relies heavily on how influential personalities use them for fashion. Check out this list of ways you can use contact lenses to catch lots of attention:

Film and Video. Do you enjoy watching movies or making videos? Famous actors and actresses often use contact lenses when shooting films. This is especially common when watching fantasy or sci-fi films that have characters with unique eye colors.

Photoshoots. You might not notice it, you can find lots of colored contacts being used in Instagram photos. In fact, lots of models use cosmetic lenses to either enhance or completely change their eye color.

For example, you can use subtle color tones to add an extra sparkle to your model’s gaze without drawing too much attention. In contrast, you can use unnatural eye colors to make your model’s gaze stand out! It all depends on your photoshoot theme!

Fashion Accessory. Cosmetic lenses also have their special place behind the cameras. Cosmetic contacts, like enhancement tint lenses, are perfect for daily use because of their subtle effects. You can even use lenses with multiple color tones to make your eyes stand out during large events.

Cosplay. Lastly, people love to use cosmetic lenses for costumes because of their out-of-this-world effect. In fact, you can find opaque tint lenses with crazy colors and designs that will make you look like something out of a cartoon show. Similarly, you can buy cosplay colored contacts that have specific designs that mimic the eyes of famous anime characters. Cool, right?

Is it Safe to Use Cosmetic Colored Contacts?

Considering their popularity, cosmetic colored contacts are generally safe to use. However, despite being legally accepted fashion accessories, cosmetic lenses should still be considered as medical devices. This means that you can still put your eyes at health risks if you do not use them properly. Luckily, we’ve prepared a list of do’s and don’ts to help you use cosmetic colored contacts as safely as possible!

1. Get a Contact Lens Prescription

First of all, you always need to get a prescription before you buy contact lenses. This rule applies to you even if you’re only planning to get cosmetic lenses. Remember, cosmetic lenses are still medical devices that you put directly on your eyes. This means that you need the right medical approval and specifications to ensure your contacts suit your eyes perfectly.

Here’s how easy it is for you to get a contact lens prescription:

Schedule an appointment with an eye doctor near you.
Inform the doctor or clinic that you want to get a contact lens prescription.
Visit the clinic and have your eyes checked.
Receive the prescription right after your checkup.

2. Buy From a Reliable Seller

After you get a contact lens prescription, the next step is to buy your contacts from a reliable seller. You can either buy your contacts directly from the clinic where you got your prescription or visit other sellers.

You can even buy contact lenses online as long as they sell legitimate contact lenses. Additionally, you should never buy contact lenses from sellers who do not require a prescription before your purchase!

3. Check for Expiration Dates

After you buy your first pair of contact lenses, the first thing you should do is read the labels and instructions. The packaging of your lenses should have important information such as an expiration date and instructions on how to use your lenses correctly.

You should never use expired contact lenses because they can definitely harm your eyes! Additionally, following instructions will help you use your lenses in the safest ways possible.

4. Watch Out for Irritations

Did you know that some people could be allergic to either their contact lenses or contact lens solution? Eye irritations from wearing contact lenses are not uncommon, even for prescription lens users. This means all contact lens users should take proper precautions when experiencing irritations.

Here are tips on what to do if your contact lenses irritate your eyes:

Remove your contact lenses immediately at the first sign of irritation, and if you feel any of these symptoms:
- Itchy eyes
- Red eyes
- Stinging pain
- Irritation
- Teary eyes
- Burning sensation
- Uncontrollable blinking
Refrain from using your contact lenses for a while.
Use eyeglasses when you feel like your eyes are strained.
Store and disinfect your lenses properly.
Visit an eye doctor for an eye checkup.

6. Don’t Share Your Lenses

Your contact lenses are specifically designed to fit your eyes perfectly. This means that using other people’s lenses could irritate your eyes and cause corneal scratches. Additionally, sharing lenses is an unhygienic behavior that could lead to the spreading of diseases from person to person. That’s why you should never share or borrow lenses with anyone other than yourself.

7. Disinfect Your Lenses Properly

Wearing dirty lenses can lead to eye infections and potential vision loss for severe cases. To avoid eye problems, it is essential for lens owners to wash their contact lenses daily using the correct lens care products.

For example, you need to wash your lenses with a correct disinfecting solution that’s specifically made for contact lenses. Using other liquids, such as tap water, can lead to ocular diseases due to contact lens contamination.

8. Practice Basic Lens Care Habits

Lastly, it’s important for all contact lens users to follow basic lens-care habits to avoid vision problems. Your contact lenses are prone to bacterial contamination which you can avoid through good hygienic habits.

For example, you should never touch your contact lenses when your hands are dirty. In fact, you should always wash your hands before you handle your lenses. Remember, proper contact lens habits will help you enjoy your contact lenses without worry!

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, cosmetic colored contacts and prescription contact lenses are not free from risk. However, by following the best contact lens practices, anyone can enjoy cosmetic lenses without any harm.

The trick is to follow the right guidelines in buying and taking care of contact lenses. With this in mind, you should put your worries aside and try using cosmetic colored contacts right now!

Lastly, here are some of the top cosmetic colored contacts that you can try:

Enhancement Tint Lenses. If you have naturally light eyes, you can use enhancement tint lenses to make them darker. You can blend different color tones with your natural eye color to get different results!
Opaque Tint Lenses. This type of lens completely covers your natural eye color. This means that you can use opaque tints to change your eyes to any color that you want!
Two-Tone Colored Contacts. Similar to opaque tints, two-tone colored lenses completely change your eye color. However, these lenses offer more depth and texture with their double layer of colors. As a result, two-tone lenses look more natural and alluring compared to opaque tint lenses.
Cosplay Contact Lenses. If you want something outrageously eye catching, cosplay lenses are the way to go. These lenses are specifically designed to give your eye unnatural characteristics that’s perfect for costumes.

ENHANCEMENT TINT CONTACTS: COLORED CONTACT LENSES

COSPLAY CONTACT LENS TIPS FOR ENTHUSIASTS

CONTACT LENS ALLERGY AND HOW TO CURE IT

TIPS FOR PROPER CONTACT LENS CARE