It’s Halloween season, which means you’re probably planning your costume to wow your friends and to take fun photos for social media. Each year, many people consider what their costume will be and what might be able to take their look to the next level. Whether that’s purchasing a mask (especially helpful this year) or finding just the right wig to pull off your look, costumes are fun to shop for and a small addition to your outfit can make a big impact.

But whatever you do, think twice before you purchase non-prescription contact lenses.

As fun as it might seem to change your eye color, these contact lenses are notorious for causing damage to people’s eyes during this time of the year.

“Contact lenses are prescribed based on the curvature of your eye,” says Dr. Scothorn with Vistar Eye Center. “As eye doctors, it’s our job to make sure that your eye is healthy enough to wear contact lenses and that they fit appropriately. If they don’t fit correctly, your cornea can suffer from a lack of oxygen and the nutrient-rich fluid that it needs to be healthy.”

The problem, however, is that many of these costume contact lenses can be ordered online without a prescription.

What many people don’t know is that these non-prescription contact lenses are not approved for use by the FDA, and companies who sell these lenses are violating the law.

“It’s scary to think that people, and especially children, can get a hold of these lenses at different retailers and put their eye health at risk,” says Dr. Scothorn. “They might think at first that it’s great and fun to wear these lenses, but then they’ll start having problems later.”

The Problem with Costume Contacts

Contact lenses might seem ubiquitous enough that they’re not particularly dangerous or scary, but in actuality, improperly-fitting contacts that are not FDA approved can cause damage to your eye.

These lenses can cause scratches on the outer layer of the eye or even corneal ulcers. Symptoms of corneal ulcers include:

  • redness of the eye
  • severe pain and soreness of the eye
  • the feeling of having something in your eye
  • tearing
  • pus or other discharge
  • blurred vision
  • sensitivity to light
  • swelling of the eyelids
  • a white spot on your cornea that you may or may not be able to see when looking in the mirror

Due to scratches and ulcers, your eyes can suffer from long-term damage such as scarring, infection, and permanent vision reduction or loss.

“Fit is the critical part to making sure that contacts don’t cause any problems,” says Dr. Scothorn. “The idea is that they should allow oxygen and fluid to pass to your cornea so that it doesn’t become starved of oxygen and dry.”

“Your tears are actually full of nutrients and have metabolic byproducts that are important for the eye. That’s why you need to have an eye doctor look at how the contact fits on your eye, as well as if you have chronic dry eye or allergies, to see if contacts are a good fit for you in the first place,” explains Dr. Scothorn.

Advice from the Professionals at Vistar

“Just don’t wear nonprescription contact lenses,” says Dr. Scothorn. “It’s not worth jeopardizing your eye health and vision.”

If colored contacts are something you’d like to consider, whether for Halloween or in general, the doctors at Vistar Eye Center can help you find prescription contact lenses to fit your needs. The important part is that a doctor should help you and can offer you guidance on whether it’s a good idea or not.

The staff at Vistar Eye Center is happy to help you with your eye care needs, from contacts and glasses to laser eye surgery. You can trust that we’ll provide you with best-in-class vision care for the whole family.