Today is Halloween! If you are planning on dressing up and your costume includes fun-looking contact lenses, please consider the risks. The Association of Optometrists warns that costume contact lenses can hurt people’s eyes and even cause blindness. Research shows that fun contact lenses are poor quality and are more likely to carry harmful bacteria.

“Firstly, cosmetic contact lenses are more difficult to clean and sterilise because of the materials they are made of and the pigments which colour them, said Optometric Advisor Lynda McGivney Nolan, for the Association of Optometrists Ireland. “The second major risk is that the lenses are not fitted by a registered practitioner, so adherence to safe insertion and removal are often not practised, resulting in a very high level of complications.”

If you or a loved one are living with blindness, then SDCB can help. Our programs help the visually impaired regain their sense of independence.

“Irish eye experts warn against using cosmetic Halloween contact lenses due to ‘high level of complications’”