Wearing FDA-approved colored lenses fitted and prescribed by your optometrist shouldn’t pose a problem. Colored lenses are safe as regular contact lenses if you follow basic hygiene principles while putting them in, removing, replacing, and storing your lenses.
Colored lenses are a fun way to change up your looks. However, they are only safe when you wear ones that your optometrist prescribes and fits.
The essential basic hygiene guidelines for wearing colored lenses include:
- Cleaning your hands before inserting them
- Making sure the solution is fresh
- And changing your contact lens case every 3 months.
You need to be careful with your contact lenses, no matter how experienced you are in using them. You are likely to take certain risks if you don’t follow specific hygiene principles. Sometimes, people forget to clean, replace, or change the solution of their lenses. This can seriously affect the health of your eyes, resulting in eye infections or other serious problems.
It is also common that people sleep while wearing their contact lenses – it is always safest to remove them, clean them and then put them in their case before going to bed to prevent eye infections.
Colored Lenses that are Not Safe for you
You might see some online shops sell unregulated and potentially dangerous colored contact lenses. These colored lenses will likely deteriorate your eyesight.
These contacts are not FDA-approved and it is illegal to sell them as they can cause serious damage to your eyesight.
Everyone’s eye has a unique shape, and these custom size lenses may not fit your eyes correctly. This is not like the size of a dress or a pair of shoes, and a wrong size lens might scratch your cornea. This results in a corneal ulcer known as keratitis; this could damage your vision permanently and cause blindness.
You may have seen costume contact lenses on Halloween, which might look attractive. The paint used in these lenses blocks most of the oxygen from reaching your eye. This leads to burning, blurred vision, irritation, and excessive tearing in the eye.
Some decorative lenses have a rough surface and contain chlorine, which causes eye irritation.
Get a Prescription for colored contact lenses.
Make sure to get a prescription from your optometrist before getting colored lenses. They usually measure your eye, the curve of your cornea, and the size of your iris and then prescribe FDA-approved contacts that fit the size of your cornea.
Conclusion
If you buy colored contact lenses from a store or a salon, make sure they ask you to get a prescription from your doctor. If you have the prescription and your contact lens information, then you need to verify it with your optometrist after you get the lenses. By contacting a professional first, you can avoid possibly damaging your eye.
