How to find the best colored contact lenses?
More than fashion, colored contact lenses provide vision corrective and therapeutic effects to the wearer, especially for people who do not like wearing eyeglasses. It's also a great way to change your appearance simply by choosing a color that's different from your own.
The contact lens global market is expected to grow to around 19.45 billion USD by 2024. That's roughly 50% more than the market value of about 11.5 billion USD in 2017. On social media, the hashtag #coloredcontacts found on TikTok has over 133 million views, indicating that it's a hit in the pop culture scene.
Colored contacts can enhance your beauty and highlight your natural features. Green-colored contacts are the most popular choice worldwide, although a lot of other colors are also saleable in the market today. Additionally, lens patterns like opacity, size, and tone, can create a whole new look for you.
What are colored contact lenses?
A colored contact lens is basically a regular contact lens with an inner colored film. This layer is responsible for the instant eye color change of the wearer. The center is clear, allowing you to see through them. Anyone can wear contact lenses, even if their vision is perfect.
Doctors can also prescribe colored contacts, whether for shortsightedness (myopia) or farsightedness (hyperopia). However, it's uncommon to have multifocal lenses for presbyopia or colored lenses for astigmatism. Most professionals will recommend disposable ones since it's ideal to wear a fresh new pair every day.
Types of colored contacts
In general, there are three types of colored contact lenses:
1. Visibility tints. This style has a relatively faint tint that does not drastically change your eye color. Typically, these lenses hold a green or light blue tint, which can help improve your vision when inserting or removing them, or when you place drops on them.
2. Enhancement tints. The solid but translucent film of this colored contact lens is designed to enhance your natural eye color. You can use this type to make your eyes pop, especially if you have light-colored eyes.
3. Opaque type. If you want to change the color of your eyes, you can wear opaque-tinted lenses. They are non-transparent and full color, offering the most coverage among all contact lens types.
4. Custom type. Some contact lenses are hand-painted and specially manufactured to create a custom color tint. These lenses hide injuries or congenital eye defects by copying the look of a healthy pupil. This kind of colored lens is a popular choice for athletes who want to improve their visual performance.
Are colored contact lenses safe?
Colored contacts are perfectly safe to use. However, it will still depend on how properly you care for them and wear the lens as prescribed by your eye doctor. It makes no difference if your contact lenses are prescription or not. What matters is you use them as they are meant to.
When wearing contact lenses, it's crucial to know how long you should wear them and how often you need to replace your pair.
Pros and cons of wearing colored contacts
Pros 1: Full field of vision
Have you been using glasses for a long time? Switching to prescription contact lenses might improve your field of vision. They move with the eyes, so you can focus on what your eyes are tracking. With colored contacts, you don't see distortions or reflections, which are common issues with glasses.
Pros 2: Promotes active lifestyle
Wearing contact lenses lets you be at ease when playing sports or any outdoor activity. They won't bounce or slip off even with rigorous movement. They don't break when you play contact sports, too!
Pros 3: Boosts your confidence
Colored contact lenses can dramatically enhance your look. They don't block your natural features compared to frames. If you want to accessorize, you can also wear non-prescription glasses with your contacts, too!
Cons 1: Requires meticulous care
You must clean and disinfect your colored contacts before wearing them. Improper care of contact lenses may lead to eye infections.
Cons 2: May cost more than glasses
High-quality contact lenses can be just as expensive as prescription eyeglasses. While prices may vary on several factors, you will still probably pay more since they require regular replacement (daily for disposable contact lenses or every two weeks).
Guide to choosing the right colored contacts
Before you buy colored contacts, here are some statements that can guide you towards picking the right pair:
· I want a natural-looking color for my contact lenses
· I want to slightly enhance my eye color
· I want to completely change my eye color
· I want my contact lenses to have a unique design and pattern
You can select contact lenses based on whichever statement rings true to you.
If you have light-colored eyes, you might want an enhancement tint to make the colors of your irises stand out. For gray eyes, you can try blue or violet tints. For a more striking effect, choose opaque contact lenses like brown hues if you have blonde hair or pale skin.
Are your eyes dark-colored? You can soften the color by choosing hazel opaque tints or light brown shades. If your skin tone is dark or olive, light-colored contacts can enhance the glow of your complexion.
Recommended articles:
Soft contact lenses vs. hard contact lenses explained
Daily vs. monthly contact lenses: the better choice
How to choose the best contact lenses for dry eyes?
Explained! why you shouldn’t sleep with contact lenses in
How to find the best colored contact lenses?
Contact lenses vs. eyeglasses: what should you pick?
Scleral contact lenses' advantages and disadvantages
