Expert issues urgent eye warning over novelty Halloween fancy dress item

Halloween is today, and with over a quarter (28%) of Brits planning on dressing up for the occasion, an expert is issuing an urgent warning to Brits over the dangers of one common fancy dress item – Halloween contact lenses.

Coloured and decorative contact lenses, such as a cat eye design or a red coloured lens, are a popular Halloween accessory each year. Google searches for ‘Halloween contact lenses’ spiked 224% in the last month and had 86K searches.

Optical expert Tina Patel, at Feel Good Contacts, is urging people to consider the safety of cosmetic contact lenses and advises when purchasing and using the Halloween accessory to be wary of the potential consequences:

Avoid counterfeit contact lenses

“Not fully researching the product first can be dangerous. These cheap lenses, often bought online, can be risky if they aren’t purchased with a prescription or from a regulated seller.

“Although it may be cheaper, the lenses could be counterfeit and not fully UKCA approved – which means they haven’t passed safety checks to be used in the country.”

Check for toxins

“Likewise, you should be careful about buying coloured lenses from street vendors, salons, convenience stores or Halloween stores on the high street, as they could contain toxic substances that are detrimental to your eyesight.

“Chemicals such as chlorine, fluorine, iron, paints, and other substances can be included in the manufacturing process of many store-bought coloured contact lenses, depending on where you purchase them from.”

Make sure the contact lenses fit or risk serious infections, even blindness

“Lenses that don’t fit properly can cause serious infections, scratches to the cornea, and in extreme cases, could even cause blindness, so wearers should be cautious.

“Many people who do wear these kinds of contact lenses for Halloween parties don’t wear prescription contact lenses regularly, so might not know how to use them properly.

“Wearing them incorrectly can trigger issues like corneal ulcers or infections, such as bacterial keratitis, which is very painful and can lead to permanent vision loss if left untreated.”

Don’t sleep in your Halloween contact lenses

“People often forget to take them out after a long night and end up sleeping in the lenses, showering in them or generally wearing them for too long.

“These lenses often aren’t as breathable as typical prescription lenses, and can also contribute to dry eyes and irritation, putting you at greater risk of developing an infection in your eye, especially if left in the eye overnight."

If it doesn’t feel right, remove the contact immediately

“If coloured contact lenses feel uncomfortable at all, take them out straight away, as this could indicate they’re dirty or have a foreign object, such as dust, in them. This can also signify that they aren’t correctly fitted or you’re having an allergic reaction to them.

“Whilst they look impactful, some coloured lenses can seriously impair your vision, meaning you won’t be able to see properly whilst using them, which can put you at risk of falling or make you vulnerable to other physical hazards.”

Tina concludes: “Perhaps a much more serious consequence of wearing coloured contact lenses is your long-term eye health, and whilst these accessories can look great at the time, they can cause you to permanently lose your eyesight if not bought or used correctly.

“If you do decide to purchase them, make sure they are good quality lenses, come from a reputable seller and have the recognised CE mark, which indicates that they adhere to the set safety standards.”