Colored contacts for Halloween or Cosplay: Are they safe?

Do you want to dress like a vampire? Or how about wearing the logo of your favorite cartoon characters on your eyes to show your support? Contact lenses for Halloween or cosplay may be just what you need to scare trick-or-treaters or impress partygoers this year. With decorative special-effect contact lenses, you can do all of this and more. These colorful contacts can take your startling or sassy costume to the next level. However, they are not always safe and should be purchased and worn with caution.

Special-effect or costume contact lenses, such as black contact lenses, Halloween contact lenses, cosplay contacts, and other "crazy" lenses, are soft contact lenses designed for costume and novelty purposes.

Halloween or cosplay contacts, like colored contact lenses, can be worn whether or not you normally wear eyeglasses or contact lenses because most types are available with and without lens powers/prescription to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and/or astigmatism.

It's important to note that the FDA considers all contact lenses, including non-prescription (Plano) Halloween contacts and any other special-effects contacts, to be medical devices and require a valid contact lens prescription from a licensed eye care practitioner.

Cosplay colored contact lenses are safe to wear if properly prescribed, cared for, and purchased from a reputable source. Bacterial eye infections caused by contaminated, poorly fitted, or improperly worn special-effect contact lenses can develop quickly, resulting in a painful corneal ulcer and even blindness.
It's not worth getting a sight-threatening eye infection from improper contact lens use to complete your Halloween costume.

Are Halloween colored contacts safe?
Halloween contact lenses are not without risk. Anything you put on your eye has the potential to cause an injury or infection, which could result in vision loss. Costume contact lenses can be a decoration for Halloween, but it's best to order them through the proper channels.

Decades of research and development have resulted in safe colored contact lenses — when prescribed correctly, worn properly, and carefully maintained. However, not all Halloween contacts adhere to these guidelines. The safety of these specialty lenses (also known as theatrical, special effects, or costume contacts) is dependent on purchasing them from the right people and wearing them correctly.

So why go through all of this trouble just to look like you're got the eyes of a cat, a lizard, or an evil alien from a galaxy far, far away? Well, sometimes these crazy contacts are simply the finishing touch to fun or freaky costume, creating fear, drama, or whimsy. Therefore, when it comes to colored and costume lenses designed to create ocular drama for Halloween, the possibilities are virtually limitless.
But therein lies the risk. Some Halloween contacts are safer than others, but how do you know?

Halloween contact lenses: Trends and designs
Sclera contact lenses, cosplay contact lenses, wild eyes, cat eyes - whatever you pick, there's a vast selection of Halloween contact lenses to complete your Halloween costume.
Movies and cult TV series fuel current trends in costume or novelty contact lenses.

TV shows and movies provide inspiration for creative Halloween costumes. Vampires, werewolves, jungle cats, and slithering reptiles are all fair game for costume designers in the entertainment industry. And the more bizarre the character or creature, the more bizarre the contacts.

These include the iconic black, white, and yellow special-effect scleral contact lenses shown in the cult TV show True Blood; red and amber colored contacts seen in Twilight, New Moon, and Breaking Dawn; and Goth contact lenses with red, black, white, and yellow patterns seen in The Exorcist.

Other movie character special-effect lenses include vibrant green "Mad Hatter" colored contacts inspired by the film Alice in Wonderland, yellow "alien" contacts as seen in Avatar, and even yellow cat-eyes as seen in Harry Potter.

Crazy contact lenses are still trendy. These include zombie, vampire, and other supernatural themes such as spider webs, cat eyes, and werewolves - ideal for enhancing your Halloween or special occasion costume.

When using prescription or non-prescription Halloween contact lenses, these tips should help you avoid eye harm.

◾Consult an eye doctor first. Check if your eyes are suited for contacts and have your eye specialist prepare a prescription based on the specific shape and size of your eyes.

◾Purchase from reputable companies. Eye care specialists may be able to sell Halloween contacts directly to you, or they may be able to recommend a brand or website.

◾Follow instructions. Follow your eye doctor's instructions for safety, comfort, and lens care. Most of these lenses are only intended for usage during the day and should not be worn at night. Make sure to discuss this with your eye doctor.

◾Never, ever share. You don't want any of your friends' germs infecting your eyes with shared contact lenses or vice versa.

◾Problems should not be ignored. Remove the lenses immediately when your body reacts to redness, swelling, or pain. You might have or acquire a deadly infection if you continue to use them despite these warning signals.

There's nothing exciting about jeopardizing your vision.
The whole goal of Halloween is to combine joy with terror.

You can surely boost up your look with Halloween contacts, whether you cover merely the colorful region of your eye or the complete ocular surface. And these costume lens don't have to frighten the people around you. Contact lenses may be imprinted with virtually any picture with nowaday's technology, including sports team logos, national flags, and the moon and stars.

If you're already used to using contact lenses, you might be an ideal candidate for Halloween colored contacts. If you've never worn contacts before, you should proceed with caution at this year's Halloween party.

Whatever you do, keep in mind that your eyesight is dependent on you making the proper choices regarding what you put in your eyes. Purchase your contact lenses properly, from your eye doctor and from a reliable source.
Follow these recommendations, and you'll be on the safest route to have clear eyesight long after whatever Halloween celebrations you're participating in.