“I wrote this review while participating in an Influencer campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. and received a promotional item from Mom Central to thank me for participating.”

What You Need to Know about Decorative Contact Lenses

You have only one set of eyes in your lifetime – that’s it.  Having your eyes checked regularly is important.  If corrective lenses are needed so be it.  For those who don’t care for glasses – there’s always the option of contact lenses.  That said, contact lenses require a bit more care and work vs. putting on a pair of glasses.

My teen is one of those who has to wear corrective lenses and has for many years.  I knew enough to start getting her eyes tested by an optometrist at a young age, since her dad and I both have the need for corrective lenses. I actually needed glasses long before anyone ever caught on that the cause of my poor schoolwork and constant headaches were because I couldn’t see – starting in the second grade.

Come the 5th grade – my vision had deteriorated so fast that the corrective lenses prescribed were very thick.  As I aged, I really wanted to try contact lenses but because my vision was so bad – I would have had to wear hard lenses.  The hard lenses came with there possibly being a lot of complications for me – so I went without.  Then, soft lenses became available and I just had to try them.

I fell in love!  I hardly ever wear my glasses anymore because I can see so much better with the contact lenses.  Plus – my self-esteem rose not having to wear those thick corrective lenses.  So when my daughter hit her teen years – I asked her if she’d like to try contacts.  She hemmed and hawed over the thought for a long time before telling me that she would like to give them a try.  At that time I made sure that she knew that there was work involved, as she’d have to properly care for them.  She agreed she would.  Good enough – let’s give it a try – and that we did.

With that all said – she was taught by the tech on how she MUST care for her lenses.

There’s absolutely no turning back if you damage your eyes from being irresponsible where contact lenses are concerned.  In which, this leads me to wanting to talk a bit about decorative contact lenses.

Decorative Contact Lenses

They seem to be the rage during Halloween but have become even more popular over the years with teens especially, wanting to change their eye color like they change the color of their hair.  Okay – sure they are appealing.  Sure they will give your eyes a different take for the world to see.  But….

The Statistics:

Halloween isn’t the only time of year that people try contact lenses without a prescription.  According to the American Optometric Association’s 2013 American Eye-Q®consumer survey, 17 percent of Americans have worn decorative contact lenses that don’t provide vision correction as part of a costume or for other cosmetic purposes. Of those individuals, 24 percent purchased them without a prescription from a source other than an eye doctor.

What You NEED to Know:

Purchasing Traditional or Decorative Contact Lenses:

A contact lens is a medical device and in the United States, all contacts lenses, even purely cosmetic ones, require a prescription from an eye care professional. However, come the fall, many children, teenagers, and even adults begin to think about “who” or “what” they want to be for Halloween. And, a number of them are
tempted to complete their look with decorative contact lenses bought without a prescription.

The Importance of Year-Round Eye Care Hygiene:

 Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., manufacturer of ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses reminds us – especially teens – how important it is to practice safe contact lens wear and care – from obtaining contact lenses via a prescription from a licensed eye care professional, to practicing good hygiene habits when
inserting/removing contact lenses as well as the importance of following wearing and replacement schedules, proper lens care, and disinfecting routines as directed by your eye care professional.

The Protocol for Contact Lens Use (Traditional and Decorative Contact Lenses):

The Do’s and Don’ts of Eye Care Safety

Follow these tips to make sure that you are wearing and caring for your contact lenses safely and effectively.

It all starts at the sink!

The teen washing her hands before handling her contact lenses

DO:

• Wash and rinse your hands thoroughly with a mild soap and dry with a lint-free towel before handling your lenses
• Put in your contacts before you put on your makeup or any costume paint.
• Remove lenses immediately if  you experience eye discomfort, excessive tearing, vision changes, and redness of the eye or other problems and promptly contact your  eye care professional
• Always remove, clean and disinfect your lenses according to the schedule recommended by   your eye doctor

DON’T:

• Wear another person’s lenses
• Wear lenses longer than the time frame recommended by your eye doctor
• Rinse your lenses in water from the tap or expose them to any water—such as swimming or showering—while wearing them
• Use anything aside from recommended solution by your eye doctor, such as saliva,to lubricate your lenses

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FROM ACUVUE ON TRADITIONAL AND DECORATIVE CONTACT LENSES:

• To educate yourself more – visit Healthy Vision & Contact Lenses
• Keep track of your individual contact lens replacement schedule with the ACUMINDER® Tool, a free service that sends an automatic reminder via email and/or cell phone text message on when to replace contact lenses, when to order new lenses and when to schedule an eye exam. Registration is free and open to all contact lens wearers

Do you wear contact lenses?  What about decorative contact lenses?  How do they work for you?