Halloween is a time for scares, trick or treating, and the most important thing of all (for some), dressing up some crazy outfit that’s scary and/or sexy.
Costumes have become increasingly detailed with each passing Halloween and on particular neat trick that’s been gaining popularity in recent years is the use of coloured contact lenses to really get that creepy look going.
But as effective as these lenses are at changing your eye colour while making you look like some kind of second-rate vampire, you should maybe think twice before trying them on this Halloween because you’re risking your eyesight.
Eye care specialists have warned about making sure Halloween partygoers protect their eyes, saying (via LADbible) that novelty contact lenses can result in complications ranging from minor things, such as scratches and infections, to major issues such as sight loss.
These problems are often exacerbated the longer lenses are worn due to bacteria build up and can get especially bad when people inevitably forget to take them out before they pass out after a big Halloween party.
The reason why novelty contacts are so bad (via The Herald Sun) is because they’re often made from inferior quality materials compared to proper contacts, which then result in a lack of oxygen going to the eye. But despite these risks, Australia gets away with selling cheap novelty contact lenses to unsuspecting people without the need for a prescription is due to some dodgy legal loophole.
Having worn prescription contact lenses for most of my life, I can vouch for the need to at least get a proper consultation with an optometrist before considering getting coloured contacts for whatever slutty costume you’re cooking up because those things are uncomfortable at the best of times even when they’re tailored for you.
Novelty contact lenses aren’t the only thing that can hurt your eyes during Halloween as seemingly innocent things like glitter and fake lashes can also pose a problem. Beyond the eyes, make-up can cause potential problems for some people’s skin, which is a bit unfortunate for those wanting to dress up as the Joker this year.
At the end of the day, you just have to ask yourself: Is risking your eyesight worth changing your eye colour for one night so you can rock whatever awesome/sexy Halloween costume you’ve put together?