colored contact lenses,colored contacts,colored contact lens

Colored contact lenses of all types are now freely available, not just to those in need of vision correction but also those who wish to use them as cosmetic contacts.

So vast is the demand for special effect contact lenses such as Halloween contact lenses that the market is awash with suppliers. Unfortunately not all suppliers are quality or even regulated and this is something that we all need to be careful about.

When colored contact lenses first emerged on the scene, regulation of standards was practically non-existant.

This only resulted in poor quality and unsafe contact lenses being sold on the market. Fortunately many countries acted reasoably quickly to address this problem and set about imposing standards to protect the eye health of potential customers.

They did this by classifying contacts as medical devices and thereby imposing rigid, high quality practices in the manufacturing and retailing of contact lenses.

Colored contacts can generally be classified as follows

Visibility tints are typically a light blue or green cast infused into a contact lens. The dye is too weak to affect how your eye color looks, but it's just enough to make the contacts easy to see. That helps when inserting them and minimizes the odds of losing one.

An enhancement tint, by comparison, is a richer dye that does change the hue of your natural eye color. They won't change your color from, say, blue to brown but can give blue or green eyes a more vibrant look.

Color tints take the process one step further. They are virtually opaque and are designed to alter the natural color of your iris, the colored portion of the eye. Brown eyes can be made to look blue, blue eyes can change to brown with the flick of a lens. They come in an assortment of colors including hazel, green, or blue and even violet or gray.

Colored contact lenses generally do a very effective job not only of shifting or changing color, but of making the effect look very natural. Uniformly colored dyes are enhanced with dots, stripes and other features to mimic the mottled look of the iris. The central portion is clear to allow for full passage of light.

Since the pupil of even the lightest eye-colored person is still very dark the natural effect isn't spoiled.

On the following link you can read all about Colored Contacts

Colored contacts at the far end of the range are wacky,novelty contact lenses. These special fx costume contact lenses used for 'eye decoration'. They may be in the form of slits to produce cat's eyes or larger colored areas to make the iris look unnaturally large. They can be intentionally designed in unnatural colors such as red or white to produce a character effect for a party or just for fun.

Even at this end of the market the range of extreme cosmetic contact lens has gone to a whole new level. Films such as Pitch Black, Twilight have caused the demand for costume contact lenses to soar. There is now a huge demand for these crazy contacts or scary contact lenses. In particular the Halloween contacts are always in high demand.

As you can see a full range of colored and novelty contact lenses are available but almost all of them still give the ability to improve vision the way regular contact lenses do. They're typically available in soft, RGP, daily wear or extended wear, and other common choices. Some theatrical lenses may be designed solely for effect with no vision correction ability, but even many of those are available for those who do require contacts.

As the demand increased for these colored contact lenses so the number of manufacturers will to create them rose. There is intense competition between these firms and the difference in prices from the retailers can be very large.

This competition has benefited the consumer as many retailers offer 'specials' to attract customers. Some of these offers include such as 'free contact lenses' this promotion usually takes the form of free trial color contact lens or free samples of contact lenses.

Other retailers make their pitch for your custom by offering discount contacts by providing rebates such as the famous Acuvue rebate

Of course gothic contact lenses and mirrored contact lenses would not exist without all the pioneering work done on contacts when they were strictly for correcting vision problems.

Naturally this is great news for those in need of contact lenses but unfortunately more and more people are placing their sight at risk by improper maintenance and buying from disreputable suppliers. It is for this very reason that many countries have introduced legislation that now classifies contact lenses as medical devices.

With this legislation comes certain standards and procedures that must be followed by both the buyer and the seller.The ability to improve your vision or alter the color appearance of your eyes should not come with the risk of further damaging your sight. It is possible to enjoy all the benefits of contacts for both practical and aesthetic purposes without the risk.

Does this mean that if you want quality contacts that you have to pay rip-off prices? certainly not! The internet has had its impact in this area just as it has had on many other things. Some good and some bad. As regards buying contact lenses online there are several reputable suppliers who will not only provide high qualiy cheap contacts but also offer a level of customer care that is rarely matched in the 'brick and mortar' world of retailing.

Like many things the secret is to research what you are looking for and who you are going to buy from. Follow all the procedures and you will have no problem meeting your vision needs. Whether its cheap crazy contact lenses,colored contacts,sunglasses, it doesn't matter. Quality at reasonable prices is available, it's all about knowing where to look!

On this site you will find all the information you need on contact lenses of all types. We will provide some general information on all those different types of fun contact lenses as well as on on standard contact lenses.

Below is how the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration defines the various types of contact lenses on their site.

Soft Contact Lenses Soft contact lenses are made of soft, flexible plastics that allow oxygen to pass through to the cornea. Soft contact lenses may be easier to adjust to and are more comfortable than rigid gas permeable lenses. Newer soft lens materials include silicone-hydrogels to provide more oxygen to your eye while you wear your lenses.

Extended Wear Contact Lenses Extended wear contact lenses are available for overnight or continuous wear ranging from one to six nights or up to 30 days. Extended wear contact lenses are usually soft contact lenses. They are made of flexible plastics that allow oxygen to pass through to the cornea. There are also a very few rigid gas permeable lenses that are designed and approved for overnight wear. Length of continuous wear depends on lens type and your eye care professional's evaluation of your tolerance for overnight wear. It is important for the eyes to have a rest without lenses for at least one night following each scheduled removal.

Disposable (Replacement Schedule) Contact Lenses The majority of soft contact lens wearers are prescribed some type of frequent replacement schedule. Disposable as defined by the FDA, means used once and discarded. With a true daily wear disposable schedule, a brand new pair of lenses is used each day. Some soft contact lenses are referred to as disposable by contact lens sellers, but actually, they are for frequent/planned replacement. With extended wear lenses, the lenses may be worn continuously for the prescribed wearing period (for example, 7 days to 30 days) and then thrown away. When you remove your lenses, make sure to clean and disinfect them properly before reinserting.

Below is what the FDA say about decorative or colored contacts. This is very important information and should be read.

Decorative (Plano) Contact Lenses

Some contact lenses do not correct vision and are intended solely to change the appearance of the eye. These are sometimes called plano, zero-powered or non-corrective lenses. For example, they can temporarily change a brown-eyed persons eye color to blue, or make a persons eyes look weird by portraying Halloween themes. Even though these decorative lenses do not correct vision, they are regulated by the FDA, just like corrective contact lenses. They also carry the same risks to the eye. These risks include:

FDA is aware that consumers without valid prescriptions have bought decorative contact lenses from beauty salons, record stores, video stores, flea markets, convenience stores, beach shops and the internet. Buying contact lenses without a prescription is dangerous!

If you are considering getting decorative contact lenses, you should:

* get an eye exam from a licensed eye care professional

* get a valid prescription that includes the brand and lens dimensions

* buy the lenses from an eye care professional or from a vendor who requires that you provide prescription information for the lenses

* follow directions for cleaning, disinfection, and wearing the lenses, and visit your eye care professional for follow-up eye exams

Thank you to the FDA for permission to copy that information here, you can see the full and updated text at http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/HomeHealthandConsumer

Now that you have a clearer vision of what is involved with colored contact lenses and buying contact lenses online why not start off by visiting our page on the different types of colored contacts.