Colored contacts and cosplay contacts are fun to use and wear, especially when you’re dressing for an occasion such as Halloween. However, these lenses touch your eye, one of the most important organs of your body, and anytime something foreign touches your eye, you put yourself at risk of contracting an infection or damaging your sight.

Don’t fear, though, because when you properly care for your colored contact lenses, wearing them is safe, comfortable, and enjoyable. Here are some tips for caring for your contact lenses.

Choose the Contacts that are Right for You

First things first, you must choose lenses that are right for your eye. If you have a typical eye, this isn’t quite as important, but if you need lenses with a special fit to compensate for astigmatism, or something else that affects your eye’s shape or size, it’s important that you choose a contact lens that fits your eye.

This will allow you to wear your colored lens more comfortably, and for the contact lens to sit on your eye correctly and prevent debris or germs from nestling in between your lens and your eyeball.

We have a variety of natural-looking, realistic contacts, as well as enlarging contacts and ones that change your eye color completely. We have lenses that are suitable for dark eyes and lenses that are suitable for light eyes, so make sure you are picking something that suits your eyeballs and will keep them healthy and safe while you’re wearing lenses.

Equipment You’ll Need

Before you can properly take care of your contacts, you’ll need the proper equipment. Purchase these items while you’re waiting for your Halloween contacts to arrive:

• Contact case - You’ll need a contact case to store your contacts while they are not in use. The contact case will ensconce the cleaning solution and lens so germs and debris do not penetrate the lens. You can purchase a contact lens case here.
• Multipurpose solution - You’ll also need a multipurpose solution to clean your contacts and keep them from drying out. Local stores should have contact cleaning solutions available for purchase.
• Lint-free towels - It’s important to wash and dry your hands before touching your eye, and when you are applying contact lenses, use a lint-free towel to dry your hands so that you don’t get lint in your eyeball. We suggest purchasing two or three towels so that if you are washing one you still have one available for putting in and taking out your contacts.

Safely Put Them In

Once you’ve chosen your contacts and are ready to wear them, it is imperative that you safely put them in your eye.

First, soak your contact lenses in solution. It’s important to do this before your first wear so they are properly moisturized and sanitized before they touch your eye. This will help prevent dry eye or unnecessary damage.

When it’s time to put your contact lenses in your eye, follow these steps:

1. Thoroughly wash and dry your hands.
2. Make sure the lens is in its correct bowl shape and place it on the pad of your finger.
3. Use your other hand to open your eyelids and carefully place the lens on the white of your eye.
4. Move your eyeball to position the lens to the center of your eye, then blink to let the contact lens naturally align with your eye.

If you feel any discomfort when putting in your contact lens, remove it and use a multipurpose solution to rinse the lens. Then try the process again.

Safely Take Them Out

It’s equally important that you safely remove your contact lenses. Follow these steps to remove your contact lenses:

1. Thoroughly wash and dry your hands.
2. Gently squeeze the middle of your contact lens to separate it from your eyeball.
3. Put your contact lenses in your contact case and drop some multipurpose cleaning solution on top to moisturize and sanitize the lenses.

Care for Them While They’re Resting

In addition to caring for your contact lenses while you are putting them in and taking them out, you must be caring for them while they are not in use. Here are some directions to follow to make sure your contacts are always ready to wear:

• Change the solution daily - Even if you are not wearing your contact lenses daily, you should be changing the multipurpose cleaning solution every day so that your contacts stay sanitized. Be sure to wash and dry your hands before you change the solution and touch your contact lenses.
• Keep them at room temperature - Contacts are made to withstand various temperatures as they are suited for outdoor use, but there is no reason to store them at a special temperature. Keep them stored at room temperature.
• Use hydrogen peroxide solutions - Occasionally it is a good idea to soak your contact lens in a hydrogen peroxide solution as this can clean your contact lenses better than a multipurpose solution. If you use one of these solutions, be sure to carefully read the instructions because most need to sit for 6 to 8 hours and could burn your eye if you put contacts in too soon after use.

Change Them As Directed

Make sure you are not overusing your contact lenses. Most are suitable for everyday use, and many are made to be worn for long periods, but the guidelines vary from lens to lens. Be sure to change your lenses whenever they are supposed to be changed.

Other Tips for Care

• Never apply a torn lens to your eyes.
• Always use a store-bought cleaning solution. Do not make your own at home.
• If you notice a smudge or debris on your contact lens, gently rub it with clean fingers to remove the foreign object from your lens, but never press too hard as you could tear the lens.
• Do not sleep in your contact lenses.

For Halloween contacts, cosplay contacts, and other colored contacts, browse our assortment here and make sure you are properly caring for them.



Sources:
https://www.aao.org/eye-health/glasses-contacts/contact-lens-care