10/13/2022
Avoid use of colored contact lenses as part of your Halloween costume
ECPH joins eye care professionals in discouraging consumers from using illegal decorative (colored) contact lenses. These are contact lenses that have not been approved by the Food & Drug Administration for safety and effectiveness. Consumers should only use brand name contact lenses from well-known contact lens companies. If you have never worn contact lenses before, Halloween should not be the first time you wear them. Experts warn that buying any kind of contact lenses—which are medical devices and regulated as such—without an examination and a prescription from an eye care professional can cause serious eye disorders and infections, which may lead to permanent vision loss. Despite the fact that it’s illegal to sell decorative contact lenses without a valid prescription, the FDA is aware that these lenses are still sold without a prescription on the Internet and in retail shops and salons—particularly around Halloween.
Although unauthorized use of decorative contact lenses is a concern year-round, Halloween is the time when people may be more inclined to use them, perhaps as costume accessories, which make the wearer’s eyes appear to glow in the dark, create the illusion of vertical “cat eyes,” or change the wearer’s eye color.
When they are bought and used without a valid prescription, without the involvement of a qualified eye care professional, or without appropriate follow-up care, it can lead to significant risks of eye injuries, including blindness.
