Special Effects Color Contacts

Color contact lenses were originally designed to help make the lenses more visible when inserting and removing them and to enhance natural eye color, also referred to as enhancement tinted lenses. Today, you have the choice of making a more dramatic statement with contact lenses by wearing special effect contacts, also called opaque lenses. These special lenses significantly change your eye color.

History

• Contact lenses were first used in 1887 and were made of glass. As improvements to material were made, lenses were manufactured out of plastic and eventually a softer material containing water. Special effect contacts were originally used theatrically in movies and music videos in the 1980s. The first soft lenses that dramatically changed eye color were made publicly available in 1987, according to Eye Topics.

Types

• Colored contacts are available in both soft and hard lenses, but only the soft lenses are designed to dramatically change eye color. Opaque lenses are soft lenses that completely change the color of your iris, the colored part of your eye. Opaque lenses can change brown eyes to blue or green by altering the natural color of the iris, according to My Contact Lenses.

Effects

• It is possible to subtly change your eyes with lightly tinted contact lenses. Opaque lenses alter the natural color of eyes and can be used for theatrical or fun effects, such as vampire eyes, cat eyes and even anime, according to All About Vision.

Considerations

• Contact lenses are considered a medical device, even if you do not require a prescription in the lenses to change your vision, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In order to purchase special effect contact lenses, you must have a complete eye examination by an eye care professional who is licensed to fit contact lenses. You will also be required to return for followup appointments a few weeks after your initial exam to make sure your lenses are fitting properly.

Cost

• The cost of standard special effect contact lenses is comparable to prescription opaque lenses that are designed to change dark or brown eyes to blue or lighter colors. The price varies, according to the Contact Lens Manufacturer Association, and depending on your area averages $200 to $300 for contact lenses and exam. Custom-designed special effect or hand-painted lenses are more expensive.