BOO!!! Already Thinking Halloween

With just a month or so before Halloween you can easily find costume displays and those seasonal Halloween stores that temporarily operate in vacant stores. Contact lenses have become an increasingly popular costume 'accessory'. Customized contacts have been used in film production for decades. There are hundreds of different styles and many different ways to acquire them.


Originally eye doctors prescribed therapeutic contact lenses to help people see. Next came cosmetic contact lenses, (with or without corrective power), that were tinted to change eye color appearance. Now there's a huge market for theatrical or costume contacts. These lenses bear a printed design that completely changes the appearance of the entire eye. The consumer is able to peek through a small central clear zone.

Even if they are only meant for short-term wear, costume contact lenses are still a medical device. The potential for risks persist: poor fit, corneal abrasions, infection, etc. If you have never worn contact lenses before Halloween is not the best time to experiment with them.

Purchase costume contact lenses only from reputable eyewear vendors. Stay away from flea markets!

Yeah, I know, I'm a real party-pooper!

If you have successfully worn contact lenses make sure any costume lenses correspond with your current lens parameters. It wouldn't hurt to let your prescribing eye doctor examine the fit - it only takes a few minutes.

Be extremely careful regarding hygiene and handwashing. If you develop an infected corneal ulcer it will likely ruin your Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas!

One final precaution; if you need spectacles or contact lenses to see clearly outdoors at night how do you plan to get around only wearing your 'monster eyes'?

Related Topics: Contact Lens Care, Higher Prices for Contact Lenses?

Technorati Tags: halloween, costume, contact lenses