Costume contact lenses can look great but…
From glow-in-the-dark snake eyes to blood-drenched vampire lenses, costume contact lenses can certainly add a spooky, eye-popping touch at Halloween. Nonetheless red, swollen eyes or worse from wearing cosmetic contact lenses can be a real health fright!
People are commonly unaware that decorative costume contact lenses purchased from unregistered suppliers require the same level of care and consideration as standard contact lenses. There is no such thing as a one size fits all contact lens and lenses which are not properly fitted may scratch the eye or become infected with potentially catastrophic consequences including blindness.
A recent case report from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published in the Journal of Forensic Sciences found that the majority of unapproved, counterfeit and decorative contact lenses tested positive for the kinds of microbial contamination frequently found in waste water or spoiled food.
Under UK legislation zero powered cosmetic costume contact lenses should only be supplied under the care of a suitably qualified optician, optometrist or medical practitioner who can provide aftercare.
Happy Halloween.
Jonathan
