The spookiest night of the year is almost here! Halloween is a festive night where people can dress up for laughs, scares, or even candy. Depending on the costume, it may even take some crazy eyewear to achieve your desired look. With all the excitement surrounding the big night, it can be easy to forget about safety and the potential risk your costume may pose, especially when it comes to your eyes.
Our treat to you this Halloween season is informing you about some costume accessories that may harm you and potentially ruin your big night.
Cosmetic contact lenses can make quite the statement, but lenses bought without prescription can be truly frightening. The use of cosmetic contact lenses for Halloween is on the rise, and while some may be safe to wear you should understand the risk you take while wearing cosmetic lenses.
All contact lenses, prescription or cosmetic, are classified as medical devices. It is illegal to sell contact lenses in the United States without a prescription from an optometrist because of the medical and health risks involved with them.
We would like to dispel the myth that one size fits all when it comes to contacts. Non-prescription costume contacts can cut, scratch, and infect your eye if not properly fitted. Without a proper fit for your contacts, corneal abrasions, as well as bacterial infections, may occur.
Poor-fitting lenses can cause other serious damage such as:
- Irritation
- Corneal scratches
- Eye infections
- Pink eye or conjunctivitis
- Eye/eyelid swelling
- Severe allergic reactions
- Change in vision
- Blindness
- And more
Unfortunately, the treatment for some of these injuries may require surgery and sometimes treatment may still prove ineffective depending on the severity. This is why the optometrist must measure your eye to ensure your lenses fit properly and evaluate how your eye responds to the lenses.
Does this mean you can’t get those special contacts you’ve been wanting? Of course not. The best way to obtain those lenses is with a valid prescription. Our clinic would be happy to conduct an eye exam, fit you for contacts, and give you a valid prescription. Our optometrist will also show you how to properly apply, remove, and care for your contacts.
If you do decide to purchase contacts, we’d like to recommend these safe practices:
- Always apply your contact lenses with clean hands
- Do not sleep in your contacts. Remove them every night and discard of them after they expire
- After you remove your lenses, be sure to clean them with the proper solution and stow them as directed by your optometrist
- Do not share your contact lenses with anyone even if they have the same prescription
Remember that just because products are easy to find does not mean they are safe to use. You may see them for sale at novelty shops, flea markets, malls, or anywhere else, but please don’t be tempted. If you want to decorate your eyes this year for Halloween, please visit us at Fox Eye Care Group. We would be happy to set you up with everything you need to make you look spooktacular!
