Colored Contact Lenses - No Prescription Needed? Wrong!

It’s become extremely popular to change eye color with different colored contact lenses. Lens manufacturers have met this trend with a variety of different options to choose from to change the appearance of your eyes, ranging from tints which only have a slight effect, to wild and crazy alterations of the entire appearance of your eyes. But advertisements for “Colored Contact Lenses – No Prescription Needed” can be misleading. Just because you may be able to buy some lenses without having to show a prescription, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best way to go.

SAFETY

One reason that a prescription is traditionally required for contact lenses is that each person has a unique shape to their eyes, and long-term wearing of contact lenses on the eyes which are not tailored to the shape of your eyes can cause permanent, unfavorable shaping of your eyes which can adversely affect your vision. Also, improperly fitted lenses can cause continual abrasion of your eyes, which can lead to damage and infection. These problems can be avoided by having a trained doctor measure your eyes and issue a prescription, to make sure the lenses you purchase are suited to the particular shape of your eyes.

RELIABILITY

Not everyone in the world has your best interest at heart. With the worldwide scope of the internet, where many contact lenses are ordered, there are hundreds of fly-by- night contact lens sellers who are out to make a buck, and don’t really care whether the lenses you buy are going to be good for your eyes. If a company is willing to easily sell you contact lenses without questioning whether you have a valid prescription or not, this is a good indication that they have no concern for your eye safety. You should steer clear of ordering something as important as contact lenses from anyone with this kind of attitude. If they don’t care about proper fitting, you have to wonder whether there are other areas where they have cut corners as well.

HEALTH

In addition to making sure you only purchase colored contacts with a prescription, you will want to be sure you follow other typical guidelines for contact lens wear. Just because you may be ordering non-corrective lenses just for the purpose of changing your eye color, doesn’t mean the guidelines for wearing contacts are any less important. Make sure your remove and clean your colored contacts within guidelines dictated by the manufacturer and your doctor. Avoid extended wear – give your eyes a rest occasionally. And above all, don’t even think about sharing your lenses. Your friends may beg to try your new color- changing lenses when they see them, but don’t be tempted; it’s not worth it. Sharing lenses is an easy way to spread infection and disease, which can sometimes cause permanent eye damage.

Colored contact lenses are great to experiment with. It can be a lot of fun changing your eyes to match your clothes, or to show your style. But don’t let the fun aspects of colored lenses tempt you to cut corners on the health and safety of your eyes. Make sure you get a prescription before you buy. In the long run, you’ll get a lot more enjoyment out of your new colored lenses, not having to worry about infection and damage to your eyes; and you’ll be able to focus instead on the fun you’ll have with your new colored contacts and how impressed your friends will be with your new look.