Costume Contact Lenses - Be Noticed In The Crowd!

Costume contacts have always been a favorite tool of movie costume designers. What makes a werewolf appear like a real monster and not just an actor in a costume? The eyes, of course! The eyes make the entire image seem real and very believable.

Costume contacts have always been a favorite tool of movie costume designers. What makes a werewolf appear like a real monster and not just an actor in a costume? The eyes, of course! The eyes make the entire image seem real and very believable.

But the days when theatrical lenses were available only to movie stars are long gone. Now everybody can get a pair of costume contacts that makes their eyes appear bright and inhuman. The only limit is your imagination.

Many people think of theatrical contact lenses only at Halloween time. But there is no reason why you cant wear them just for going out to the club. If your eyes look like you just came back from Dune, you can be sure that your appearance wont go unnoticed.

What are my choices?

There are many costume lenses on the market; the most popular brands are Crazy Lenses, by Cooper Vision, and Wild Eyes, by CibaVision. Both Crazy Lenses and WildEyes offer bright, exciting designs. Their lenses are also comfortable and affordable.

If you type costume contact lenses into a Google or Yahoo search, many different collections will show up. Some of them offer a great look for a reasonable price. However, you should always bear in mind that most paints are toxic; so some of the lenses on offer might seem beautiful, but the could also irritate your eyes. It is always best to go with costume contacts produced by major contact lens manufacturers.

And for a particularly magnificent effect, you can get scleral contacts. Unlike ordinary color contact lenses, sclerals cover not only the colored part of your eye, but the entire visible portion of your eye. Sclerals create a knock-out effect. The only draw back with scleral contacts is that they are awfully expensive.

You can also get custom-made costume lenses. This way, you can be sure that nobody would have eyes like yours, and you can have any design imaginable.

You can see pictures and reviews of different costume contact lens collections at www.1-contact-lenses-consumer-guide.com/costume-contact-lenses.html

Do I need a prescription for costume contact lenses?

Most brand name costume contacts come in Plano (no vision correction) as well as with corrective powers. And whether or not you need visual correction, you should ask your eye doctor to fit costume lenses for you. Even if you have perfect vision, it is best to see an optometrist first.

Can I see while wearing theatrical contacts?

Yes, you can. Even though the lens is completely opaque, its center is clear so you can see. The only exceptions are white-out contacts, which create the effect of blind eyes. In this case, the entire lens is fully opaque so, unless you want to find out how it is to be blind, you should wear a white-out contact lens in one eye only.

Are costume contacts safe?

There are many FDA warnings about the dangers of costume lenses, although the lenses themselves are usually not to blame. Unfortunately, some people wear their costume contacts for several days straight, or put them in without washing their hands first, or swap the lenses with their friends, and then blame the theatrical contacts when they get an eye infection.

The truth is that if you get reputable brand name costume lenses and take proper care of them, costume contacts are as safe as any other type of contact lens.

Here are 5 simple rules, to keep costume contact lenses safe:

Dont wear your costume contacts for longer than a few hours
Dont swap them with other people
Order your lenses from your doctors office or a reputable online retailer. Contacts sold in costume shops or flea markets might be of questionable quality
Have an optometrist fit you with theatrical contacts
Clean your costume lenses properly

How do I take care of my costume lenses?

Novelty contact lenses dont require any special care; you simply treat them the same way as you would treat any contact lenses.

All you need is a multi-purpose solution and a contact lens case, which you can get in any chemist shop. Rinse your lenses in the solution before inserting them in your eyes, and dont forget to wash your hands before handling the lenses.

When youre not using your costume lenses, keep them in the solution, in their case. It is recommended that you change the solution at least once a week, if you dont use them for long periods of time. But who would bother? If you have to wear contacts that have spent a month or so in their case, just give them a double rinse in fresh solution.

Tanya Turner is a contact lens expert and a founder of www.1-contact-lenses-consumer-guide.com/ where you can find unbiased information about all types of contact lenses, including costume Halloween contacts with reviews and pictures.

Considerations To Make When Purchasing Contact Lenses Online

The FDA wants you to be a wise consumer if you buy contact lenses, an FDA-regulated product, on the Internet, over the phone or by mail. While such purchases are often a convenient and economical way to get lenses, Internet, phone, or mail orders require consumers to exercise some caution. The following questions and answers should help you take simple precautions to make your Internet, phone or mail purchase safe and effective for you.

What do I need to consider when buying contact lenses on the Internet, by phone or by mail?

• Is my contact lens prescription current? You should always have a current, correct prescription when you order contact lenses.

• If you have not had a check-up in the last one to two years, you may have problems with your eyes that you are not aware of, or your contact lenses may not correct your vision well.

• The expiration date for your prescription is currently set by your state. Some require a one-year renewal, some a two-year renewal, while other states leave it to your doctor to decide.

• Never order lenses with a prescription that has expired.

What does a valid contact lens prescription include?

• This depends on the state where your doctor practices. State laws often define a prescriptions requirements. In states without a legal definition, the prescribing doctor includes some minimum elements.

• The minimum elements usually include your name and the doctors name along with the contact lens brand name and material. Also, lens measurements such as power, diameter and base curve are included.

• More detailed prescriptions will include directions for safe use such as wearing schedule, whether lenses are for daily or extended wear, the number of refills, whether lens material substitutions are allowed and an expiration date.

• Some Internet sites ask for information about your doctor so that they may check the prescription with your doctor. State laws vary greatly concerning the kind of verification that is required. Internet sites should comply with applicable State requirements concerning verification of prescriptions for contact lenses.

Will I get in legal trouble if I buy my contact lenses on the Internet, by phone or by mail if I dont have a copy of my prescription?

• You wont break any laws, but the company is selling you a prescription device as if it were an over-the-counter device. In legal terms, this misbrands the device. Often, the company will say that they will check back with your doctor to confirm the prescription and expiration date; however, that may not always happen.

• Some Internet sites will allow you to fill out a chart with the ordering information about your contact lenses and ask you to fill in your doctors name and phone number. The site may or may not ask for an actual copy of your prescription, but they should comply with applicable State law concerning contact lens prescription verification.

• Since individual states have different licensing requirements for optical dispensers, enforcement of prescription device sales has usually been left to State authorities.

What harm can be done if I dont have regular check-ups with my doctor or I order lenses without a valid prescription?

• At your check-up, your eye doctor will re-evaluate the fit of your contact lenses and observe any changes in your cornea caused by your lenses. You will benefit by having a correct, current prescription and you may avoid serious problems, especially if you wear your lenses on an extended or overnight schedule.

• Though infections of the cornea are rare, severe cases can cause loss of vision and even blindness. During regularly scheduled visits, your eye doctor looks for irregularities that, if left untreated, may lead to severe problems. These irregularities often have no symptoms and you may be totally unaware of them.

• Contact lens wear causes many changes to cells and tissues of the eye, and sometimes wearing contact lenses can damage the cornea (the clear window of the eye). Even if you are currently experiencing no problems, the lenses may be causing damage to your eyes. Regular check-ups will reduce the likelihood of damage going undetected.

• Contact lenses that are not properly fitted by an eye doctor might not work well, or even worse, may harm your eyes.

• Ask your eye doctor how often to have a check-up.

Will regular check-ups help prevent me from having problems with my contact lenses?

• Anyone wearing contact lenses runs an increased risk of corneal infection. Regular check-ups will help reduce your chances of having a problem. At your check-up, your doctor may find something that requires refitting with a new lens or requires modifying your wearing schedule.

What can I do to avoid serious problems with my contact lenses?

• Ask your eye doctor how often you should have a check-up and see the doctor according to the recommended schedule.

• You run a greater risk of developing serious eye problems such as infection if you wear lenses overnight.

• Order your contact lenses from a supplier you are familiar with and know is reliable. Contact lenses are often more complex than they appear.

• Request the manufacturers written patient information for your contact lenses. It will give you important risk/benefit information, as well as instructions for use.

• Beware of attempts to substitute a different brand than you presently have. While this may be acceptable in some situations, there are differences in the water content and shape between different brands. The correct choice of which lens is right for you should only be made based on examination by your doctor, not over the phone.

• Carefully check to make sure the company gives you
  • the exact brand,
  • lens name,
  • power,
    • sphere,
    • cylinder, if any,
    • axis, if any,
  • diameter,
  • base curve, and
  • peripheral curves, if any.

• If you think you have gotten an incorrect lens, check with your eye doctor. Dont accept a substitution unless your doctor approves it.

Where can I report problems that I have with my contact lenses?

• You can report a serious eye problem associated with your contact lenses with FDAs MedWatch reporting form at: http://www.fda.gov/medwatch. Also, contact your health professional for medical advice.

• You can report problems involving contact lens sales by Web sites by sending e-mail to webcomplaints@ora.fda.gov.

• If you do not get the exact lenses that you ordered, you should report the problem directly to the company that supplied them.

  Wesley atkins is the owner of 'Contact Lenses Advisor' a website dedicated to advising consumers about buying contact lenses safely online.. You can visit his website at http://www.contact-lenses-advisor.com.

Color Contact Lenses - Your Options

very few people are actually satisfied with their appearance. Some will go to great lengths to achieve a look that they consider acceptable. If you wear contacts and you're interested in changing your appearance but you want to use a subtle approach, you may want to consider color contact lenses. You can choose from a variety of natural s including blue, hazel, and green. There are numerous types of these lenses available that vary in the amount of tint used to create the lenses. If you have trouble seeing your contacts during insertion, for example, you don't want to actually change the of your eyes; you just want to be able to see your contacts better. Contacts with a light tint would work better for you.

Color contact lenses aren't just for people who require corrective lenses. There are just as many types of non-prescription contacts that can alter and/or enhance your eyes available. Of course you should obtain assistance from an eyewear professional so that the contacts fit securely on your eyes, and also to obtain important information regarding the use and care of the lenses. Color contact lenses are becoming more common for athletes interested in improving their skill. Race car drivers, for example, can benefit from color contact lenses with an amber tint because this can filter out shadows that can interfere with the driver's vision.

Have you ever noticed someone's eyes that you were certain were not their own? One of the issues associated with wearing color contact lenses is buying a set that complements your eye and skin . If your skin and eyes are naturally light, you have the good fortune of being able to wear just about any type of ed lenses. People with dark eyes and/or skin are best suited with opaque lenses. Instead of covering the eye with a solid , opaque color contact lenses actually complement the natural of the eye using a pattern of several s. If your eyes are somewhere in the middle or you want to try a in contrast to your eye , you should contact an eye specialist to discuss your options. Brad Triggs provides more information onColor Contact at his website: MyDiscountLenses.com - Color Contact Lenses

Bifocal Contact Lenses What Are They

For years people who had both nearsightedness and farsightedness had to suffer with eyeglasses that had thick lenses with a line across them. Not only were the glasses heavy but the frames for glasses in general were to say the least, unattractive. The other problem with the bifocal lenses was adjusting to them. You either have to look up or look down especially going downstairs. People often experience dizziness while adapting to the bifocal lenses.

For years people who needed bifocal lenses had only one choice, eyeglasses. Even when contact lenses came on the market, bifocals still could only be had in eyeglasses. That was then and this is now. Now contact lenses offer as many choices if not more choices than for those who wear eyeglasses. Now to the joy of many, there are bifocal contact lenses available. Bifocal contact lenses are available in soft, rigid, gas permeable materials.

Who needs to use bifocal lenses? People who have trouble focusing on objects that are near. They suffer with something called Presbyopia. This doesnt usually develop after age 40.

There are various types of lenses and they are described below.

• Alternating design- these are similar to bifocal glasses, half the lens has distance powers and the other half has powers for near objects.

• Simultaneous Design-these lenses try to blend the powers of both distant and near sight prescriptions, they fill in the pupil area. Your eyes adapt and learn to interpret the circle power choice depending on how close or far you are looking.

• Concentric Design-These are the radial of contact lenses. The lens works on near vision while outer part works on distant vision correction or vice versa.

• Translating Design- these are also very similar to bifocal eyeglasses, the distance correction is above the near correction. A line separates the lenses. The lens is flat on the bottom to keep it from moving around in your eye when you blink.

• Asferic Design-Distant and near vision are located at the center of the lens. Near correction is at the center while distance correction surrounds it. They can be reversed in some situations. The doctor will help you decide that.

• Mono-vision Design-You wear one power lens in one eye and the other in the other eye. Distance vision is usually worn in the dominant eye. Again your doctor will be able to determine this with an examination.

There are also simultaneous vision contact lenses. These lenses allow the eyes to focus on both near and far objects at the same time. Near and distant correction is in concentric rings. Since the distant and near parts of the lens are in sight all the time light from both distant and near objects can be focused on at the same time.

There is a problem with simultaneous vision lenses. While the eye is seeing through the lens some light from distant objects will go through the near vision, and the light from near objects will go through the distant part of the lens. The eye takes both in focus and out of focus at the same time. It is up to the brain to figure out which is the desired image.

Contact lenses whether bifocal or not can only be obtained with a prescription. Through a comprehensive examination your eye doctor will determine whether you are a candidate for bifocal contact lenses and what specific type might be right for you. As with any contact lens there is an adjustment period and it might take more than one try before you get lenses that are the right fit and comfortable for you.

The reality though is that bifocal contact lenses may not be for you, at least in the contact lenses that are now available. Dont give up. If you really want contact lenses and you need bifocals, do your research and keep up to date on the types of lenses available for you.

If you want to try contact lenses some companies have free trial periods of up to a week for you to try the lenses and see how you like them. There are resources available online, through your eye care physician, and in some cases right from the manufacturer. There are discount contact lens sites and some manufacturers offer coupons to you for trying them out. Your budget will undoubtedly play a part in your decision about bifocal contact lenses.

Ask friends or family members who have contact lenses what their experience has been like for them. Of course, not everyone has the same experience but in general, the information could help you and your physician make a determination.

Bifocal contact lenses are available for people with astigmatism. Toric contact lenses in particular come in both colors and disposable types. Consult with your eye care professional, as some professionals are not comfortable with fitting Toric lenses. www.2020-contact-lenses.com

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Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of products which includes Bifocal Contact Lenses and Contact Lenses, and more! His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information. Visit http://www.2020-contact-lenses.com.

Bifocal Contact Lenses - Improving Vision

Thick lenses with a line across them were the only option available to those who had nearsightedness and farsightedness. The frames for glasses in general were heavy and very unattractive. The problem with wearing bifocals was getting used to them. You need to look either up or look down especially going down stairs. Adjusting to wearing bifocals made some people feel dizzy.

People had only one choice if they wore bifocals, eyeglasses. When contacts hit the market bifocals still had to be in eyeglasses. That was then and this is now. Those who wear eyeglasses may have far fewer choices than those who wear contact lenses may. Many people are happy because now contact lenses come in contact lenses. Contact bifocals are available in rigid, soft, and gas permeable materials.

Who needs to wear bifocal contact lenses? People focusing on near objects who have trouble. The name of what they suffer with is Presbyopia. Over the age of 40 is when this usually happens.

Alternating Design and Bifocal Eyeglasses are alike because one half of the lens enables distance vision and the other allows you to see near. Lenses that try to blend both near and distance prescriptions fill in the pupil area and are called Simultaneous Design. Your eyes will learn to interpret the circle power choices depending on how near or far you are looking.

The radial of contact lenses is the concentric design lens. The inner lens will work on either the nearness vision or the distant vision and so can the outer part of the lens.

Translating design contacts are similar to bifocal eyeglasses where the distant correction is above the nearness vision correction. A line makes the lenses separate. The bottom of the lens is flat to keep it from moving around in your eye when you blink.

Both distant and near vision are located at the center of the Asferic Design lenses. The near correction in the center is surrounded by distance correction.

Sometimes they can be reversed in some situations. You and your doctor can decide that.

With mono-vision design lenses you have one power lens in one eye and then the other power lens in the other eye. Usually the distant vision lens is worn in the dominant eye. An examination by your doctor will be able to determine this.

There are also simultaneous vision lenses. Your eyes can focus on things that are both near and far at the same time. Distant and near correction is concentric rings.The near and far parts of the lens are in sight all the time so the light from both distant and near objects can be focused on at the same time.

Simultaneous vision contact lenses have a problem. The light from the near part of the lens will go through the distant part and vice versa when the eye is looking through it. Both in focus and out of focus can be taken in by the eye at the same time.

The brain has to figure out which is the correct image. Whether contact lenses are bifocals or not, you must obtain a prescription. Your eye doctor will do a very thorough exam to decide if you are a candidate for bifocal contacts and what type might be right for you.

Lenses that fit and are comfortable may take time to find, as with any contact lens there is an adjustment. Bifocal lenses may not be for you, at least not in the contact lenses currently available.

There may be contact lenses out there, don't give up.Do your research if you really want contacts and need bifocals and keep informed on the types of lenses available to you.There are resources available online, through your eye care physician, and in some cases right from the manufacturer.

There are discount websites for contact lenses and some manufacturers will give you a coupon for their lenses if you try them. Your budget will affect your decision about bifocal lenses without a doubt.

Check with friends and family who wear contacts and see what their experience was like. Although not everyone has the same experience, the information could help you and your doctor make the decision. Bifocal contact lenses are available now for people with astigmatism.

Toric contact lenses come in both color and disposable lenses. Check with your eye doctor about Toric lenses because some professionals are uncomfortable fitting them.

Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of products which includes Bifocal Contact Lenses and Contact Lenses and more. http://www.2020-contact-lenses.com

Contact Lens Options for Your Pediatric Patients

Pediatric patients are some of the most special patients we see in any practice. When infants present for contact lenses, we all know it is a medical necessity.

The practitioners at my practice believe that contact lenses should not be any more of a burden on the parents than they have to be. And let’s face it, inserting and removing lenses on an infant or a toddler is not an easy task for most.

Regardless, every parent or caregiver is instructed on the insertion and removal of their child’s contact lens. Despite our best efforts, some parents are still hesitant to perform this task at home. In these cases, the child is fit with an extended wear lens made of either soft silicone or an approved gas permeable material. We love watching these kids grow, so we have the parents bring in their child on prescribed schedule to have the lens removed, cleaned, and re-inserted.

Many of the children who have worn lenses in this modality are growing up with superb vision. Some are learning to insert and remove their own lenses as early as age 4! Close monitoring by both the contact lens fitters and the referring doctor leads to happy and successful patients.

Steve Cogger helps thousands of contact lenses wearers find the perfect lens for their eyes at his busy New York practice. For more consumer information and education, visit the informative website, http://www.all-about-contact-lenses.com.