By the time October rolls around, we have come to grips with the fact that summer is over and we can truly begin to appreciate fall. The leaves change colour creating picturesque landscapes of orange, yellow and green, cozy sweaters start making an appearance but the one thing that October really sparks in us is, “What will I dress up as for Halloween?”
Although there are endless possibilities of costumes for a night of celebration with ghouls and ghosts, you have decided to dress up as a cat this Halloween and have found the “purrfect” contact lenses that give the appearance of cat eye pupils. You are really considering adding these contacts to complete your disguise. But, are coloured contact lenses safe?
Although these novelty contact lenses are sold as “one-size fits all” and the packaging may advertise them as a toy, BEWARE! These contact lenses may be very harmful to your eyes. When contact lenses are not fitted properly to your eyes or with general improper use, they can scratch or cut your cornea, may cause infection and can even lead to permanent vision problems.
The novelty contact lenses that can be purchased online, at a pharmacy or Halloween store, usually have not been approved by Health Canada and therefore their safety has not been tested.
The good news is you can still get novelty contact lenses through your eye care professional. It is best to consult with your optometrist because they can prescribe those fun colour-changinglenses based on your prescription whether you wear glasses or have 20/20 vision. These will be fitted to your eyes and your optometrist can offer monitoring for good vision and comfort. In addition, if you don’t typically wear contact lenses, you will be informed on how to properly care for them, like for instance:
- How to properly insert and remove the lenses
- That they should always be removed before bed unless otherwise indicated
- That certain types lenses require specific solutions and that they should not be cleaned with water
- You should NEVER share your contact lenses with others
Our optometrists care about your eyes and want you to have a safe Halloween by helping you take the proper precaution to protect them. So, before you go out trick or treating this year, book your appointment to get more information on novelty contact lenses.
