The most common form of vision problems are solved with corrective lenses whether that is with eyeglasses or contacts.  If contacts are the option that is right for you, did you know that selecting contacts can be much like selecting designer frames?

Today, contacts come in all sorts of colors and designs.  There are color tints simply to help you see your contacts better, those to change or enhance your eye color or even novelty lenses for over-the-top costume parties.  When properly prescribed and handled, tinted lenses can be a practical choice and colored contact lenses can add a lot of fun to every day use and special occasions.

The major manufacturers of contact lenses offer three types of tints for colored contacts: visibility tint, enhancement tint and opaque tint. The power level of each of these tints will determine the significance of change in eye color.

• Visibility tint typically does not influence eye color.  It is simply a light green or blue hue added to a contact lens to make the lens more visible to the wearer when handling for placement in your eye.
• Enhancement tints are slightly deeper tints meant to enrich the wearer’s natural eye color.
• Opaque tint contact lenses will completely mask the wearer’s true eye color, transforming the eye to an entirely different color.

Colored contacts are typically sold as 2-4 week replacement lenses and have excellent safety ratings.  While colored contacts can be prescribed to patients who require vision correction, they can also be used for those who simply want to change their eye color.  In either case, a contact lens prescription and fitting is required. It is imperative to your eye health to use only contacts that are prescribed to you by your eye doctor.  This is a particularly important reminder for anyone considering contacts only to enhance or change your eye color or as a novelty lens as part of a costume.

This Halloween if you are thinking about novelty lenses, it is imperative to use caution when purchasing, wearing and caring for the contact lenses.  Novelty lenses are not made by any of the major contact lens manufacturers and generally must be ordered from specialty websites at a premium price. In most cases, these contacts can only be worn occasionally and only for short periods of time. Before buying colored or novelty contacts online, consult with your local eye doctor at Johnson Optometric for advice.

When considering colored contacts lenses, a prescription and proper care are just as important as with standard contact lenses. Colored contacts are a perfect way to enhance your look this fall, so ask us at Johnson Optometric about your options.  But, as always, the safety and health of your eyes always comes first.