Want to transform yourself into a werewolf, zombie, or alien? Costume contact lenses can make the transformation a complete success. Find out what is on offer and how to get lenses that are safe and will make everybody’s head turn.

What costume contact lenses are on offer?

There are two brands of theatrical contact lenses that offer you the best looking, high quality lenses - Crazy Lenses by Cooper Vision and Wild Eyes by Ciba Vision. Both companies are major manufacturers of all types of contact lens, including corrective lenses, color contact lenses and theatrical lenses. So if you buy either Wild Eyes or Crazy Lenses, you can be sure you are paying for a high quality lens.

There are hundreds of costume lens styles available. Here are some:

• Cat’s Eye - yellow, white, green or red, with a vertical black pupil just like a real cat
• White-out - makes your eye white, good for a zombie effect
• Black-out - makes your eye completely black
• Red Hot - for red vampire eyes
• Spirals - red, yellow and white, create a crazy effect
• Fire - bright yellow flames on a red background, around your pupil
• Bloodshot - red blood vessels over white background, very scary

See Halloween costume contacts pictures.

There are also many smaller companies and individual artists, who offer different designs for costume contact lenses. You can even get custom made lenses, with any design you like.

Costume contacts safety

You might have heard that Halloween contact lenses can damage your eyes. You shouldn’t worry; though, because high quality lenses are absolutely safe; only improper care of them can cause problems. If you already wear contact lenses for vision correction, care for costume lenses is absolutely the same as for ordinary contacts.

If you are new to contact lenses, though, be sure to consult your eye doctor before you order yourself a pair of costume contacts. All contact lenses come with instructions on how to care for them. Be sure to read and follow these instructions - it isn’t at all difficult.

Here it is, in a nut shell:

• don’t wear your lenses for longer than 8 hours
  and never sleep in them
• only use contact lens solution to store and disinfect your lenses, never use tap water
• wash your hands before handling your contacts
• never wear a lens that is torn
• take your costume lenses off if they irritate your eyes
• never give your lenses to other people

A few years ago, costume contacts were a luxury item, costing several hundred dollars - but not any more! These days, if you order your theatrical contacts from a reputable online retailer, you can get an exciting new look for as little as $30-60.

Mass produced costume lenses like Crazy Lenses or Wild Eyes are the most affordable. Custom made, hand-painted and scleral lenses are a bit more costly.

Where can I get costume contact lenses?

Leading up to Halloween, you have probably seen these colorful boxes for sale everywhere - beauty salons, flea markets, even gas stations. However, it is not a good idea to buy your theatrical contact lenses from these places. Most of them sell no-brand costume contacts, so you can’t know where they were manufactured or from what materials. Remember, the surface of your eye is very delicate, and using paints that are not designed for contact lenses (as is the case with the majority of lenses available on the streets) can damage your eyes.

There are two safe ways to get costume contacts. One is to visit an eye doctor, get a prescription and order them through your doctor’s office. Another option is to order your costume lenses online from trusted contact lens retailers. This way, you can get the best price. As with most online orders, your contacts will usually arrive in about a week, so you should place your order in advance.

Like the idea of costume contacts? They are great fun and, with so many designs available, you can find a style to match your costume perfectly.

Tanya Turner is color and special effects contact lens expert and a founder of Contact Lenses Consumer Guide, where you can find information and photos of Halloween costume contact lenses

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