The Essential Guide To Colored Contact Lens Safety!
Fact Checked By Skin Formulations
| Dec 3, 2021
Introduction
Until recently, colored contact lenses have been used by those who love dressing up to portray other characters, and they love to recreate a character depiction right down to the color of their eyes.
People who are part of the clubbing and rave scene have also been using colored contact lenses for a while to complete their outfits for events.
Nowadays, people use colored contact lenses for all sorts of reasons. Still, it all comes down to wanting to change the appearance of your natural eyes, including colors, shapes, and patterns!
Colored contact lenses are flexible lenses that fit over the eye. Of course, millions of people wear contact lenses to correct impairments in vision, so this process is not unusual! However, colored contact lenses are those lenses that have had colors or patterns put into their design to change the aesthetics of the eye itself! Sounds strange, but they are incredibly popular!
As with anything that can potentially cause damage or infection to one of the most delicate (and vital!) parts of the body, it is essential to conduct your research and decide if colored contact lenses are the right choice for you.
Here are a few things you may want to look into to make your decisions!
How To Choose The Right Color
I guess this is the most enjoyable element of choosing colored contact lenses! When you choose something to be aesthetically different from your original eye color, there are no hard and fast rules!
Of course, many of your choices will be based on the look you are trying to achieve and if they work for those purposes. Some things to be aware of with choosing the right color of contact lenses are:
- Your eye color
- How intense the color is on the lens design
- How the color of the lens may interact with your eye color
- If the lens will change your original vision
These are all super essential elements to remember when choosing the right color lenses.
Who Can Wear Colored Contacts/ Who Should Not
As with anything that can potentially cause harm to your health, there are things you need to be mindful of when wearing colored contact lenses.
You could wear colored contact lenses if:
- You have good eye health
- You follow the manufacturer’s guidelines
- You keep the insertion and extraction process as hygienic as possible
- You remove any existing contact lenses from your eyes
- You have them prescribed to you
You should not wear colored contact lenses if:
- You have sensitive eyes
- Your eye health is poor
- You suffer from any eye condition such as glaucoma, styes, or visual disturbances
- You rely on prescription contact lenses for sight correction (however, you can obtain prescription lenses that have color in them)
Overall, your eye health needs to be in top condition to wear colored contact lenses for aesthetic purposes, which is different if you have them prescribed to you.
Colored contact lenses may cause damage to your eyes, so every precaution should be adhered to, including those recommendations and guidelines provided by the manufacturers of the specific lenses.
Risks Of Wearing Colored Contacts
Contact lenses of any description have the potential to cause damage to your eyes.
The eyes are super sensitive and critical for you to be able to see, so we need to make sure that we follow the correct processes to keep our eyes free from infection and harm.
The potential risks of wearing colored contact lenses can include:
- Infection
- Exacerbation of any existing eye conditions
- Corneal abrasions
- Sight disturbances
- The lenses may become stuck or even lost in the eye socket
- Watery eyes
- Blindness
Of course, we don’t mean to be dramatic with the last entry. Still, it is wholly possible if you do not follow the correct processes when using colored contact lenses.
How To Care For Them
Colored contact lenses must be cared for correctly, as this will be instructed for each pair you buy. Not all contact lenses, especially colored ones, are regulated or medically approved, so you must follow the specific guidelines.
Colored contact lenses typically come in 2 varieties: Disposable and multi-wear. It is essential that you know which is which! Disposable colored contact lenses should only be used once! The clue is in the title! The material they are made of is not designed to be used more than once or stored in between uses. So, treat them like a tissue when used and dispose of them safely, and do not attempt to wear them more than once! On the other hand, multi-use colored contact lenses have been made so that their material, shape, and colors will last when worn more than once. These lenses should be stored in contact lens solution in between uses in an airtight contact lens holder (This may come with your lenses, as may the solution; however, you can buy either easily from a drugstore).
Be delicate when handling colored contact lenses as they are very delicate. The rule is always to ease your hands before and after touching them, hold them as little as possible, and be gentle!
Conclusion
Overall, colored contact lenses can be a fun addition to a dressing-up outfit, event, or simply as part of your chosen lifestyle aesthetics, as believe it or not, some people do not like the color of their own eyes.
Suppose you suffer from any issues with your eyes that may be exacerbated by the use of colored contact lenses, in that case, it’s best to avoid them altogether! Inserting anything into your eyes can increase the risk of infection and other eye conditions.
Colored contact lenses should be cared for, stored, and used as per the manufacturer’s instruction. This is particularly important to reduce the risks of eye damage and infections that can lead to blindness.
What is the correct colored lens for you? The answer to this can be as simple as choosing a color you love or a color you want to be! There are no specific rules with colored contact lenses; just be mindful of how they may work with your existing eye color!
