Coloured contact lenses are a great way to get creative when it comes to changing up your style and appearance.
The popularity of coloured contact lenses has grown due to their ease and accessibility to enhance natural beauty or to complete a look. You’ve got the option of both prescription and non-prescription lenses. Regardless of what you choose, lenses are medical devices and should be treated with care and used safely for the sake of your eye health.
Safety: What You Must Know Before Buying
Before purchasing coloured contact lenses of any kind, it’s important to get a professional fitting by an optician, even if you’ve got 20/20 vision. The reason for this is that a professional fitting helps get the correct base curve and diameter for your eyes. Not every eye shape is the same, so going through a professional optician is the best option for eye safety.
Only buy from reputable, trusted FDA or CE-approved retailers. That way, you know what you’re buying is legitimate and safe for your eyes.
Never share your lenses with others; you run the risk of serious eye infections like keratitis, for example.
Choosing Your Style: Matching Your Eye Colour
Picking the right style to match your eye colour is important. The colour will depend on what contact lens colour you pick. Let’s break it down depending on both eye colour, but also for the purpose of skin tone and hair colour too.
For Dark Eyes
With darker eyes, it’s recommended to opt for opaque tints for a complete colour transformation. From honey to vibrant blue to emerald green, these are all highly effective when you go for the opaque tint lenses.
For Light Eyes
With lighter eyes, it’s worth opting for enhancement tints that deepen natural shades without masking them completely. For example, adding aqua tones to blue eyes can be highly effective.
Skin Tone & Hair Colour
Warm skin tones will often pair well with honey or brown. Cool skin tones will suit violet or blue lenses. Contrast any dark hair with light-coloured lenses to add that pop effect to your eyes.
Practical Tips for First-Time Wearers
For first-time wearers of coloured contact lenses, it’s good to know the practical tips to get the most out of the lenses and, above all, protect your eyes.
Firstly, it’s all about good hygiene. Wash and dry your hands using a lint-free towel, ideally before handling the contact lenses. Place the lens on your index finger, ensuring it’s not inside-out and gently position it over the iris while holding the eyelids open.
First timers should start with around 2-4 hours of wear and gradually build up the time worn to avoid irritation. You should always insert your lenses before applying makeup and take them out before taking your makeup off.
Never use tap water or saliva to clean your lenses. You should be using a multi-purpose contact lens solution only. When checking your contact lenses, you should respect the expiry dates and not use them after the expiry date.
Avoid both sleeping and swimming in your lenses, as it deprives your eyes of oxygen. Swimming and showering can expose your eyes to harmful bacteria.
Knowing how to use coloured contact lenses is important before using these lenses for the first time. Both for your own safety and comfort when wearing the lenses.
