Are Colored Contacts Safe to Wear?

Colored contacts change the apparent color of the eye. The lenses have a false-patterned iris color painted on their surface with non-toxic inks. With the exception of this painted pattern, colored contacts are identical to certain soft contacts.

How Colored Contacts Work

• Colored contacts are identical to normal soft hydrogel contact lenses, except they have an iris pattern applied to the surface of the lens with non-toxic ink. When the lens is applied to the eye, the colored pattern on the surface of the lens is viewed as the eye's color.

Health Considerations of Colored Contact Lenses

• As colored contact lenses are made from identical materials to certain soft hydrogel contact lenses, they are approved by the FDA and are perfectly safe to wear.

Styles of Colored Contacts

• There are many different types of colored contacts, from ones that very slightly change the eye's color such as Freshlook Colorblends or Expressions Accents, to ones that entirely change the eye's color such as Acuvue 2 Colors and Freshlook Colors. There are also specialty costume lenses that change the eye color to black or red, or make the eye look like that of a cat, such as Wild Eyes.

Do Not Sleep in Colored Contacts

• Colored contact lenses are made of hydrogel materials, which are not oxygen-breathable enough to allow for sleeping in the lenses.

Colored Contacts are Medical Devices

• All contact lenses are medical devices, and cannot be supplied without a valid prescription. If you are considering changing your eye color with contact lenses, even if you do not use a glasses prescription, you must schedule an appointment with an eye doctor and receive a contact lens exam.