Is colored contact lens is dangerous?
Yes, colored contact lenses are safe — as long as your contacts are properly prescribed, used.
It’s essential that you visit your eye care professional for a proper contact lens fitting. This will ensure your colored contacts are safe and comfortable and look natural on your eye.
Just like regular contact lenses, color contacts are not bad for your eyes if you follow your eye care practitioner’s instructions, particularly regarding how long you can wear your contacts and when you should replace your contacts.
If you wear colored contacts only on special occasions, daily disposables are a great option.
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Color Contacts Can Carry Risks
Remember — Buying contact lenses without a prescription is dangerous!
The Dangers of Colored Contact Lenses
If you are wondering why colored contacts are so highly regulated, know that buying them from an unauthorized source can lead to complications involving improper fit and unsafe handling. Here, the Austin Eye team explains why these complications are so serious.
Problem No. 1: Improper Fit
Contact lenses are not a one-size-fits-all product. Lenses that are too small can stick to or scratch the cornea, and lenses that are too large may slide out of place. Both of these potential issues are at best painful, and at worst, seriously damaging to your eyes.
Problem No. 2: Unsafe Handling
When you purchase colored or fashion contacts from a beauty supply store or an Internet retailer, it is unlikely that you will be given proper instruction on how to handle and clean your lenses. Improper handling can cause bacteria to enter the eye and lead to infections. Your eyes are a sensitive and complex organ and are susceptible to bacteria that can cause permanent damage and even vision loss.
How can you avoid these risks, and still win those Halloween costume contests? Schedule an eye exam and obtain a prescription from a licensed eye care professional. This will ensure that you get the correct lens size and a proper education about how to safely wear and care for your new lenses.
Buying Decorative Contact Lenses
You can buy contact lenses, including decorative contact lenses, from your eye doctor, on the Internet or from a mail-order company. It’s very important that you only buy contact lenses from a company that sells FDA-cleared or approved contact lenses and requires you to provide a prescription.
Anyone selling you contact lenses must get your prescription and verify it with your doctor. They should request not only the prescription, but the name of your doctor and their phone number. If they don’t ask for this information they are breaking federal law and could be selling you illegal contact lenses.
Remember — Buying contact lenses without a prescription is dangerous!
Right now there are a lot of products that you can buy without a prescription but they may not be safe or legal. Never buy contact lenses from a street vendor, a beauty supply store, flea market, novelty store or Halloween store.
It’s your job to make sure you protect your eyes by having an eye exam, getting a prescription and buying contact lenses from a legal source.
