If the old cliché stands true, and the eyes really are the windows to the soul, then fashion-savvy teens and college students are sporting some exotic curtains.
Novelty contact lenses have been a stylish accessory since the late 1990s, but recent technological advances have made them an even more attractive addition to a wardrobe, especially for costumes and special occasions.
Thanks to companies like CIBA Vision and Cooper Vision, the lens wearer can now look like a dragon or a cat. Wearers can make a different kind of fashion statement by donning lenses with flames on or contacts that make the eye sockets appear as creepy, gaping voids.
Rainbow Optics optometrist Dr. Paul Roline said these types of lenses are most popular with college-age customers. Roline said CIBA Vision, which offers the popular brand Wild Eyes, has the largest assortment on the map. The company launched its newest novelty lens, GlitterEyes, on Nov. 12 — just in time for the holiday season. Actual glitter is encapsulated inside the contact lenses, intended to give eyes a unique sparkle.
Roline said Rainbow Optics, located at 766 E. 13th Ave., carries a large assortment of Wild Eyes, but the office can order any type of lens the customer desires.
“We can get anything,” Roline said.
Terri Theobald models a pair of wild novelty contacts at Rainbow Optics’ campus location.
Novelty lenses can be purchased for anywhere from $25 to hundreds of dollars, and they are becoming increasingly easy to obtain. They can be an interesting and fun addition to any outfit or costume.
However, eye care professionals say customers need to know that contacts are used for medical reasons and do carry risks, especially if they are not fitted properly.
Oregon Health & Science University joined the Food and Drug Administration in late October in warning customers against purchasing the lenses without a prescription and professional fitting.
“People often buy these contacts off the Internet, or at flea markets, makeup counters, or hair and nail salons,” Casey Eye Institute director of Contact Lens Services Mark Andre said in an OHSU press release. “They’re a lot of fun, but usually buyers just don’t know how to properly wear or care for them.”
Dr. William Mathers, OHSU professor of ophthalmology, said contacts purchased at places other than a professional optometrist’s office pose a potential danger because these types of lenses aren’t approved by the FDA. Unlike CIBA Vision, Cooper Vision or other lenses purchased at an eyecare specialist, these might be imported from foreign countries, and many are not tested for quality or sterilization. Mathers said the lenses might contain more pigment or be larger than regular contacts, which could reduce tear flow and the amount of oxygen transmitted to the eye — possibly leading to infection or corneal ulcers. Left untreated, infections could lead to blindness, a high price to pay for fashion’s sake.
“In a matter of days, that infection can go from something that’s a little uncomfortable to a hole in your eye,” Mathers said.
Mathers said consumers who aren’t informed about eye health often trade their lenses as well.
“That is a huge problem,” he said. “You’re trading your bacteria.”
This can spread viruses, such as “pink eye” and viral conjunctivitis.
“This is highly transmissible and very distressing,” Mathers added.
Roline said all this can be avoided by following a few simple guidelines.
“The big deal is to understand that (the lens) is a medical device and has the potential to do harm if it is not fitted well or maintained properly,” he said.
These guidelines include visiting a doctor for fitting — whether the patient needs a vision-improving prescription or just wants the contacts as an accessory — as well as learning to insert and disinfect the contacts correctly.
Whether they want to support their favorite sports teams with logo lenses or attract attention with extra-sparkly eyes this holiday season, students should visit an eye care professional.
“When worn appropriately, (novelty lenses) are reasonable to use, and they are just as safe as other contact lenses,” Mathers said.
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