Colored Contacts
Let’s clear up some basic questions that most people have when they start learning about colored contacts.
First, do you need a prescription? Yes, you do. You will need a prescription whether or not you will be getting your colored contact lenses with a power for vision correction or not. This law was put into places a few years back because you could essentially buy colored, or sometimes referred to as decorative or plano contact lenses anywhere. Flea markets, corner stores, etc could sell them and you might guess the problem, they weren’t the best quality. To prevent people from getting eye damage from lesser-quality contact lenses the FDA simply made a law where you will have to be a valid eye care specialist, dealer or optometrist in order to sell them, or to write a prescription for them. This cut out a lot of the smaller companies trying to make money, but ultimately is a lot safer.
What color would work best for me? It really depends. I’ve seen a lot of cool colors. From blue contact lenses to green contacts for the natural colors, and red contacts to pink contacts for the wilder looks. What looks best for you is going to depend on a few different variables. For instance, you need to first decide why you are buying colored contact lenses. For a party, for everyday use, as a gift. Then what color eyes you have also play a role. Lighter eyes work better for the natural tints, while dark brown eyes usually have best luck.
There are other questions like whether or not you should sleep in them, swim in them and how long you should wear them. To answer those briefly, no, no and not very long. This of course can change depending on the quality of the contacts, but generally speaking you should not wear colored contacts designed for aesthetic purposes very long, because they aren’t made for extended wear. Ultimately you should ask your doctor how long, and if you can do the other things but until then, better safe than sorry.