The Many Types of Color Contact Lenses
Colored contactsallow a person to change or enhance, his or her eye color. Until 2005, getting colored contact lenses did not require a prescription. However, the purchase of a color contact lens now requires a prescription due to many incidents of adverse effects, and the potential for significant eye injury. These adverse events have been caused by poor fit, defective manufacturing, 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 contacts provide any vision correction. Merchants who sell the color contact lens in the United States without requiring a prescription are likely doing so in violation of the law.
Because of the chance of infection, cosmetic contacts should not be swapped among friends, or used by children without proper professional advice. Cosmetic contacts must be cleaned and maintained with the same diligence and care as corrective contacts, including appropriate 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 have additional protection against harmful ultraviolet radiation from sun. Colored lenses vary from regular corrective vision contacts 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" simply makes the lenses more visible for easier insertion and removal. Visibility tints do not alter the eye color. Somewhat more pronounced in color, "enhancement tints" are designed to enhance the natural color of the iris. Enhancement tints are often used by folks with lighter colored irises who wish to intensify their natural color.
The "color tints" are intense tints designed to dramatically change the color of the iris. Colored tint lenses completely change a person's eye color, as a someone might change her hair color. These contacts are also commonly 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 contacts are employed much like vision-enhancing sunglasses.
Whether a person's purpose for wearing contact lenses is sheerlycosmetic, purely corrective, or a mix of both, receiving a proper examination and prescription from a licensed professional is an essential first-step to ensuring long-term enjoyment of the product without risking damage to the eye.
Published September 15th, 2008