Colored lensesallow a person to enhance, or even change, his or her eye color. Until 2005, purchasing colored contact lenses did not require a prescription. However, the purchase of a color contact lens currently requires a prescription due to many incidents of adverse effects, and the potential for serious eye injury. These adverse events have been caused by improper fit, defective manufacturing, consumer misuse, and the sharing of contacts which had of harmful bacteria.
Therefore, the color contact lens is no longer classified as an unregulated cosmetic device. They are regulated by the FDA as medical devices regardless of whether or not the lenses give any vision correction. Dealers that sell the color contact lens in the United States without requiring a prescription are in violation of the law.
Because of the risk of infection, cosmetic lenses shouldn’t be swapped between friends, or used by kids without proper professional advice. Cosmetic contact lenses must be cleaned and maintained with the same diligence and care as corrective lenses, including proper disinfection, regular cleaning, and careful storage between use.
As with corrective contacts, coloured contacts are available in several varieties from twenty-four hour lenses to monthly lenses. Some coloured contact lenses provide additional protection against harmful ultraviolet radiation from sun. Colored lenses vary from typical corrective vision lenses in the addition of tints to the area of the contacts overlaying the iris. The iris is the naturally colored, circular part of the eye surrounding the dark pupil where light enters. Four different types of tints are added.
A “visibility tint” makes the lenses more visible for easier insertion and removal. Visibility tints do not change the eye color. Somewhat more pronounced in color, “enhancement tints” are made to enhance the natural color of the iris. Enhancement tints are often used by people with light-colored eyes who wish to intensify their natural color.
The “color tints” are intense tints designed to significantly alter the color of the iris. Colored tint lenses completely change a person’s eye color, as a person might change her hair color. These lenses are often used with holiday costumes, theatrical costumes, and sporting-event fan costumes.
The last category of lens tints, the “light-filtering tints”. They make objects of certain colors stand-out in bright light. These lenses are employed much like vision-enhancing sunglasses.
Whether a someone’s reason for using contacts is purelycosmetic, purely medical, or a mix of both, getting a proper examination and prescription from a licensed professional is a critical first-step to ensuring long-term enjoyment of the product without taking a chance of damaging your eyes.
Colorblends Color Contact Lenses
- Carolyn Thompson