For centuries people, young and young at heart, have used Halloween as an occasion to dress in costume. People in long past eras would wear elegant masks and elaborate attire. As time passed, the homemade outfits took on, especially garish appearances that bring fear, looking back at the photos now until along came the simplicity of the store-bought plastic suits and masks that made breathing a challenge.
Everyone puts so much time and thought into changing their natural appearance so no one can guess who’s under the costume. And you can’t forget about the competitive edge. The better the costume, the more chance you have to win the best in a specific category.
That means people go to the nth degree with it; instead of a mask, paint disguises the face. Hair is transformed with a wig. Even the body is often made into a parody of its original physique. But the topper that typically gives away our identity is the eyes if left as is, but the colored contact lenses eliminate any possibility for recognition. When all is said and done, even you can’t identify the person standing before you.
In this one night, though, where the goal is to be safe and sound, was safety considered when you chose the facade you now present to the world? Or are you putting your vision at risk with those Halloween contact lenses; did you do research and get an adequate prescription; was that necessary for just one night, or is the risk worth damaging your vision? Would you let your small children put something harmful in their eyes . . . perhaps not.
Is It Safe To Order Halloween Contact Lenses Online
Ghosts and ghouls, vampires, and Frankenstein roam the neighborhoods on Halloween with their freshly painted faces and, nowadays, colored contact lenses to complete the looks.
It’s all in good fun, and it’s supposed to be – until someone’s eyeballs become damaged because there wasn’t sufficient research for a safe, secure online supplier like perhaps https://misakicon.com/collections/halloween-contact-lenses/ known for their reputation. With a brand like these, you can rest assured they will look for a doctor’s prescription and validate with the optometrist not only the order but the doctor’s signature and phone number before submitting the purchase.
It is true that even with decorative, cosmetic, fashion, theater, or Halloween lenses, prescriptions are a requirement for your safety and protection. These are not necessarily used as a method for correcting vision, instead merely to alter appearance. Still, the FDA deems them a medical device.
That means you should never buy these from a novelty store, vendor, cosmetic supply shop, flea market, costume shop, or other places that do not require you to have a prescription. Some critical do’s and don’ts of Halloween lens wear:
Do’s
- Eye Exam: If you know you’ll be dressing in a costume that will include decorative lenses, contact your optometrist to get an exam. The doctor should measure each eye and test your vision for the prescription. You will learn if you’re a candidate for lenses and get recommendations on quality brands.
- Prescription: The prescription the doctor provides needs given to whomever you choose to order your lenses from. If you opt for an online supplier, the carrier should contact the optometrist to validate the order, including the signature.
- Instructions: Any contact lenses you receive should come with instructions for placement/removal, how to clean the devices, and disinfect. If these directions are not a part of the kit that you receive, it’s critical to get in contact with your optometrist to receive care instructions.
- Seek Care: Immediate care needs seeking (with lenses removed) if the eyes become painful, red or if any discharge is coming from the eyes. These are signs and symptoms of an infection.
Don’ts
- Share: Never share contacts with anyone, whether these are prescription or a clear lens. Doing so puts you and that person at risk for transferring germs and developing a serious infection. Plus, sharing lenses that are not a good fit poses the possibility of damaging the eyeball with scratches.
- FDA-Approved: In order to be FDA-approved, the carrier needs to see a prescription from you. If you visit a store that doesn’t ask for this prescription or says they don’t need to look at the one you have, the contacts are not FDA-approved.
Any store that has bins of colored contact lenses for anyone to purchase without sizes or prescription labels won’t, in all likelihood, offer an adequate fit for each individual, meaning there’s great potential for damaging your eye in some way. These are not legitimate contact lenses, nor are they something anyone should put in their eye. The threat of vision damage is not worth these “toys.” See here AAO guidelines.
Final Thought
Everyone wants to participate in a good time. Dressing up and playing a unique character for an evening of fun is awesome, but it also needs to be safe – in every way. That includes the materials you use for the costume. No one wants to permanently damage their eyes or disable their vision from choosing the wrong product.
You can buy colored Halloween contact lenses online, from an optometrist, and other legitimate resources who are FDA-cleared with contact lenses that are approved and with whom you will be expected to present a prescription (at least in the United States). The reputable places will verify the order with the doctor, and then you can make your purchase.
Make sure to avoid vendors on the street, stores with baskets full of one-size-fits-all lenses like in a novelty shop, a costume store, flea markets, or even cosmetic supply stores. These run the risk of being contaminated and unfit for safe use.
You can get many things on the market without needing a doctor, dentist, or professional opinion. Contact lenses are not one, and sincerely, it’s ultimately our responsibility how well we maintain our eye health. We can either listen . . . or not.