They might make your brown eyes blue, but the American Academy of Ophthalmology warns of significant risk to using nonprescription decorative contact lenses.
The lenses have become popular for costumes and for people wanting a new eye color for fashion purposes. Yet in one study, the academy says, the lenses increased the risk of developing keratitis — a potentially blinding infection that causes an ulcer on the eye — by more than 16 times. The patients in the study were most often teenagers or young adults.
Decorative contact lenses also pose the risks of scratching the eye or causing blood vessels to grow into the cornea.
The academy instead recommends that if you’re interested in decorative contact lenses, get fitted by an eye care professional even if you have perfect vision. Professionals can provide a valid prescription that includes the brand name, lens measurements and an expiration date. Decorative contact lenses should be purchased from an eye care professional or an eye product retailer that requests prescriptions.
Also, take care to properly clean the lenses and to never share them with others.
— Heidi Hagemeier, The Bulletin
