October 2019 Newsletter

Have A Happy And Safe Halloween

Halloween is a fun holiday and an important time to make sure your vision is at its best. The neighborhood can be teeming with trick-or-treaters who don’t always stay on the sidewalks. If you’re starting to notice less than perfect night vision, now is a smart time to let us take a look.

What Are Costume Contact Lenses?

Costume contact lenses – also known as cosmetic or decorative contact lenses – are contact lenses that change how your eyes look. These contact lenses can make your eyes look different in many ways, from changing your eye’s color or pupil shape to giving cartoon or film character effects.

Common examples are blackout contacts, black sclera contact lenses, cat eyes and zombie eye contacts. They can be made with or without vision correction.

In the United States it's illegal to sell any contact lenses without a prescription from an eye care professional. Wearing contacts without an exam and prescription from a doctor can blind you. Packaging that claims 'one size fits all' or 'no need to see an eye doctor' is wrong.

Colored contacts, circle lenses, sclera contacts and other costume contact lenses may be advertised like toys. They might seem like a no-fuss way to add something extra to a costume. But contact lenses are medical devices. Costume contacts for Halloween or any time of year can be worn safely – if you see a doctor first and follow their advice.

What Damage Can Costume Contact Lenses Cause?

Non-prescription costume contacts can cut, scratch and infect your eye if they don't fit exactly right. Mis-sized lenses can cause corneal abrasions, corneal ulcers and potentially blinding painful bacterial infections like keratitis. Costume or theatrical contact lenses also might let less oxygen through to the eye, because the paints and pigments used to add color make the lenses thicker and less breathable.

Treating these injuries can require eye surgery, like a corneal transplant. And treatment doesn’t always work. People have been blinded by costume contact lenses.

If you want to use theatrical contact lenses for a costume or to change your eye color more subtly, you have to get a prescription from an eye care professional. Your individual prescription can only be determined by an eye exam.

"Consumers need to know that permanent eye damage can occur from using non-prescription lenses," says Thomas Steinemann, MD, a practicing ophthalmologist and professor of ophthalmology at Case Western Reserve University. "Personally, I have seen far too many serious cases in both children and adults from using decorative lenses."

Are Costume Contact Lenses Safe If You Have A Prescription?

Contact lenses are medical devices that require a commitment to proper wear and care by the wearer. When people use contact lenses of any kind, it is important that they understand the risks.

Even under the best supervision, injury and infections can occur with any contact lenses. After you have been to an eye doctor and received a prescription, be sure to only buy costume contacts from retailers who require a prescription to purchase the lenses and who only sell FDA-approved contact lenses.