Did you know that 19% of Americans wish they were born with different eye colors? Those born with brown eyes most likely dream of having a different pigment. Today, people who desire a new eye color are in luck and they can use them to their advantage on more days than just Halloween. Prescriptive and cosmetic eye contact lens colors exist for all, including children.
Not only do colored contact lenses give you an entirely new look, but they are also safe and help your eyesight in different ways than colorless contacts can. They come in numerous shapes, types, and colors to help people with preexisting eye conditions.
Whether you are using contact lens colors for their beauty or their benefits, this complete guide will ease your mind before you buy.
Are Eye Contact Lens Colors Safe?
The FDA considers colored contact lenses as safe as pigment-free contact lenses as long as you have a prescription from an eye doctor, and use proper care.
Never buy colored contacts like over-the-counter cosmetics. The FDA regulates them because they are medical devices. If a company sells them without requiring a prescription, you should report the vendor to the FDA.
Just like pigment-free contacts, an ophthalmologist or optometrist needs to fit them to every person. They need to see how your eyes respond to contacts to prevent infections and eye damage.
In regards to children, the CDC says that all prescription contact lenses are safe as long as the proper care is taken. Parents and guardians are responsible for overseeing their child’s medical needs, which include optical health.
Why Should You Wear Colored Contact Lenses?
About 45 million people in the United States wear contact lenses for medical or cosmetic reasons. They can enhance your vision, correct your eyesight and change up your look. We’ll explore a list of reasons below.
Eye Disfigurement
If you experience eye trauma or damage that alters the look of your eye, colored contact lenses can correct pigment and appearance. Your desired eye color and appearance are achieved by altering the transparency and tinting of these specific contact lenses.
With many designs, shapes, and colors available, cosmetic lenses can conceal any disfigurement of the eye that you’re unhappy with. There are also hand-painted contacts available that pinpoint a part of the eye that needs aesthetic correction.
Wearing contacts that correct eye disfigurement can help you see better and boost your self-esteem.
Vision and Color Correction
Ocular conditions include problems with the iris, retina, and cornea. Many ocular abnormalities lead to glare, cloudiness, and light sensitivity. Colored contact lenses decrease these inhibitors by using a certain tint or shade that targets the compromised area of the eye.
If the colors you see aren’t vivid enough and appear dull, you can use colored contact lenses to enhance images.
For example, transparent-tinted contacts make you see certain colors better. They are useful when playing sports, like tennis. Contacts with a green tint can help enhance a tennis ball. The enhanced iris on the contact limit ocular glare and enhances the images you see.
A New Look
If you are someone who wishes you were born with different eye color, then decorative contact lenses will give you the look you’ve always wanted. These colored contacts aim at changing your eye color and appearance without changing your vision.
Based on the color and darkness of your eyes, you may desire a certain tint. The most popular tints available are visibility, opaque, and enhancement.
Visibility tints help you to see your contacts when putting them in. They have very little dye added. This is helpful for those who are starting to wear contacts for the first time.
Opaque tints change the pigment of your eye because they allow barely any light to pass through. The pigments range from naturalistic colors to extremely vivid colors. This is a good option for dark eyes.
Enhancement tints take your existing eye color and make it visually more vivid. They are more translucent than opaque tints and allow light to pass through. If you have light eyes, these are a good fit for you.
How to Safely Wear Colored Contact Lenses
Whether you need vision-correcting colored contacts or not, you must get an eye exam with an ophthalmologist or optometrist to get a prescription.
When searching for a colored contact lens retailer, make sure they require a prescription. Some illegal vendors that sell unregulated cosmetic contacts. Halloween stores, boutiques, and salons are a few examples.
Once you have your contacts and are ready to wear them, you need to take proper care of them to avoid any injury and infection. Follow the directions on the labeling and follow up with your eye doctor for regular visits.
Enhance Your Eyes
Whether you’re looking to correct a preexisting eye condition, enjoy colors more vividly, or match your eyes to your day-to-day look, consider using eye contact lens colors. They can also be an affordable alternative to surgery.
Enhancing your eye color or changing it completely is a fun and easy way to boost your confidence and self-esteem.
There are many types of prescriptive and cosmetic colored lenses available. Make sure you are buying them with a prescription and using an authorized distributor.
Are you interested in using colored contact lenses? If so, then schedule an appointment with us for an eye exam. At Kentucky Eye Institute, we aim to provide you with the resources and care for your optical needs.