Cosmetic Contact Lenses No Halloween Treat

Many people spare no expense when it comes to creating the perfect Halloween costume.


But some could be paying with their vision in the process.

The problem: People are buying one-size-fits-all contact lenses — think of those spooky cat's eyes — through the Internet or from novelty shops.

But unless contacts are prescribed and fitted properly by an eye expert, they can rub against and irritate the cornea, says Dr. Dwight Cavanagh, vice chairman of ophthalmology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

Cavanagh, who edits Eye and Contact Lens, cites reports on six teenagers in the Midwest — five girls and one boy — who suffered severe eye damage from wearing over-the-counter contacts. Two of the teens wore the lenses for only a few hours.

Two became legally blind in one eye, and one required a corneal transplant to restore vision, he says.

Swapping Lenses Increases Infection Risk

"A contact lens is a piece of plastic that rests on the cornea of your eye, and if you want to wear them, you want to make certain they fit properly," Cavanagh says. "You need a licensed health-care professional to make sure they're doing no harm."

Another worry: If the lenses don't fit properly, there's a risk they won't let enough oxygen into the eye. Because the cornea — the eye's clear, dome-shaped outermost layer — is transparent and has no blood supply, it relies on oxygen from the air to stay healthy and supple, he explains.

Carmen Castellano, a St. Louis optometrist, also notes that some teens tend to swap their cosmetic contacts.

"If lenses are shared it dramatically raises the risk of infections that could result in eye irritation and cornea damage," says Castellano, who is also a spokesman for the American Optometric Association.

Cavanagh says the big problem with contact lenses not purchased from eye experts is that they only come in one size. High-quality contacts are offered in multiple sizes to fit the different curvatures of the cornea of people's eyes. An improper fit boosts the risk of rubbing and irritating the cornea, which is very thin, about the width of a coat of paint, he says.

Also, contacts sold over the Internet or over-the-counter in stores are billed as cosmetic devices, a loophole that frees them from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration medical oversight mandated for prescribed contact lenses, Cavanagh says.

Cat’s Eye, White-Out Lenses

Castellano admits cosmetic lenses are fun and can be worn safely — as long as they're properly fitted. He says he stocks them — cat's eyes and white-out lenses are very popular — for his patients.

"For people who already wear a contact lens, you can select a cosmetic lens that is very similar to what they're wearing, and it's really not a big deal," he says.