It is like something straight out of the Cinderella tale-to be born with boring black eyes but with the ability to transform them into green or attractive blue in an instant. But your eyes are one of the most delicate organs in your body and hence, a lot of consideration will have to go into coloured contacts before you pick them.
Have a talk with your doctor
First of all, you need a prescription to buy even cosmetic Plano lenses. Plano lenses are those which have no power and will not enhance your vision in any way. Recently in the USA, the FDA seized a shipment of Plano lenses as they felt that they could cause injury if worn without a doctor’s prescription.
While there are many companies which will allow you to buy contacts on your own, it is neither advisable nor safe. Moreover, it becomes imperative to do this if you already have an issue with your vision.
Choosing the right colour
Once you’ve made up your mind that you are going in for lenses, the next question is which colour to choose. This is a matter of personal choice and may depend upon how dramatic you want the effect to be. Just as with hairstyles and hair colours, there are certain colours which might suit you better.
If you have the typical Indian “wheatish” complexion, you can safely go for brighter colours like deep purple or aquamarine. Another important thing to reckon with is your eye and overall make-up. The colour of your eye-shadow, eye-liner and other makeup should complement the colour of your lenses. If you want the lenses to stand out, choose a colour that contrasts your makeup shades.
How long will your lenses last?
These days there are a variety of lenses in terms of longevity to choose from. Longer lasting ones can be used for up to 180 days, if you are regular with your lens care regime. Single use, disposable lenses have also been introduced since March 2006. Such lenses are ideal if you are going to use them only on special occasions and not on a regular basis.
Types of coloured lenses
There are four types of coloured contact lenses: visibility tints, enhancement tints, opaque colour tints and light-filtering tints.
The one you will need to change your eye colour completely, say from brown to purple, will be colour tints. These coloured lenses resemble our natural eye tints almost perfectly.
Visibility tints simply add a green or blue hue to your original colour and are used with corrective lenses to improve clarity of vision.
Enhancement tints will deepen the colour of your natural eyes and are useful if you want to bring about a subtle change in your appearance without shocking your friends and family.
Light-filtering tints, a recent invention, highlight certain colours by muting the others and are used by sports-persons and audiences to see the ball or bat better.
There are the other variety-theatrical or costume lenses, which endow the user’s eyes with ‘unnatural’ colours. These can give you the appearance of a ghost, an animal or so many other things. They are quite popular at fancy dress parties or with people who have a really quirky fashion sense.
Caring for your lenses
You will have to tend to your coloured contact lenses in the same way that you do with your plain contacts. Take adequate care of them since you are exposing your delicate eyes to them. Not only will this increase durability, but it will also protect your eyes from infections. If you experience any reddening of the eyes, blurring of vision, etc., you may need to consult your doctor. Sharing of your contact lenses with others is an absolute no.
Select lenses of accurate sizes, to prevent them from sliding off your eyes. This could happen sometimes, when you blink too much for instance. Another risk is that during the night or in other varying light conditions, the presence of contact lenses may mar your vision slightly. This is because our eyes adjust differently to different intensities of light. Hence avoid wearing lenses in darkness or bright sunlight.
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Author is an expert in beauty and health related issues.