Are you already putting together your mind-blowing Halloween costume for this year’s costume party?  Does that costume include decorative contact lenses?  We understand how some people think a superb Halloween costume includes those creepy contact lenses.  As Scottsdale ophthalmologists, we’re not going to tell you not to wear vampire contact lenses, or cat contact lenses, but we do want to warn you of the risks involved. 

Risks Involved with Halloween Contact Lenses

Contact lenses are a medical necessity for over 34 million people in the U.S, and unless your Scottsdale ophthalmologist has prescribed you contact lenses, those Halloween lenses are simply unsafe for your eyes.  Decorative contact lenses are not used to correct vision or improve the health of your eyes; they are simply costume accessories that you put into your eye.  Before we move on to the risks involved with Halloween contact lenses, I’d like you to dwell on that fact for a moment – costume accessories that you put into your eye.

Custom Lenses – All contact lenses are custom lenses, prescribed by an ophthalmologist who has measured your eyes and has evaluated how your eye responds to contact lens wear.  The contact lenses are custom created for you, the patient, to fit the exact structure of your eye.  A set of contact lenses created specifically for Halloween was not created for you and can leave damage your eye.

Risks – Because Halloween contact lenses are not custom developed by your Scottsdale ophthalmologist, they post great risk to your eyes: 

– Decorative contacts lenses can decrease your vision.
– They can scratch the cornea if not custom made for your unique eyes.
– Halloween contact lenses can lean to infection.
– In the most extreme cases, they can lead to blindness.

Contact Lens Care – Unfortunately, the websites and storefronts that sell Halloween contact lenses are doing so illegally (it is illegal to sell contact lenses without a prescription), they do not warn of the risks or provide proper instruction on care.  There are a multitude of reasons not to use these illegal contact lenses, including your limited knowledge on how to clean and care for those lenses.  Without experience with prescription contact lenses, and with no medical professional advising your use of the lenses, failure to use the proper cleaning solutions, proper cleaning methods, even proper insertion and removal methods will no doubt result in damage to the eyes.

Where To Buy Halloween Contact Lenses

After all that you’ve learned, those vampire contact lenses you’ve had your eye on are still on your purchase list.  If that’s the case, be sure to purchase your Halloween contact lenses from a vendor who explicitly asks for a prescription, either on their website or storefront.  There are a few well-known Halloween vendors who offer prescription-based decorative contact lenses.

While we probably won’t give you a prescription for those vampire Halloween contact lenses, make an appointment with Scottsdale Eye Physicians & Surgeons today to get corrective contact lenses that are right for you.