Are Halloween Colored Contacts Safe?

Halloween Colored Contacts with cat pupils or neon colors can be fun, but are you sure you want to put a piece of plastic from a costume store into your eye? We’ve got some tips from the American Optometric Association on how to look cool at parties without getting a raging eye infection.

First of all, if you can buy the contacts without showing an eye doctor’s prescription, they’re not legit. The real thing can be expensive, though: we found prices ranging from $22 to $50 per lens from lens.com, AClens, and Wicked Eyez. (These websites all let you order online, but you’ll have to provide your doctor’s information on the checkout screen.) 

Once you’ve got the lenses, you have to know how to take care of them. If you wear contacts every day, you already know the drill. But if you’re just picking up a pair to use with a costume, here are the basics:

• Wash your hands before handling the lenses.
• Store them in contact lens solution, and keep the lenses and their case clean.
• Don’t sleep or swim with them in.
• And for Pete’s sake don’t share them with your friends!