16th Jun 2016

What are Colored Contact Lenses?

Colored Contact Lenses

Some contact lens wearers like to get colored contact lenses. There are even lenses known as plano lenses by eye care professionals, which refer to those lenses that have no corrective power. Most often ‘plano’ is used to describe nonprescription sunglasses or contact lenses that are worn only for cosmetic purposes. Before you do decide to get colored contact lenses, here are some things to know:

Types of Colored Contact Lenses

There are three types of colored contact lenses, depending on the desired results you wish to have from your lenses.

  • Visibility tints- This is usually a light blue or green tint added to a lens. The main purpose of it is just to help you see it better while putting in and removing contacts, or if you drop a contact lens. Since it is a very light tint, it does not affect your eye color.
  • Enhancement tints- This is a solid, but see-through tint that is a little darker than a visibility tint. An enhancement tint lens does change your eye color. As the name implies, its purpose is to enhance the existing color of your eyes. These are usually best for people who have light colored eyes and want to intensify their eye color.
  • Color tints- These lenses are deeper, opaque tints that can change your eye color completely. Usually color tints consist of patterns of solid colors. If you have dark eyes, you’ll need this type of color contact lens if you want to change your eye color. Colored contacts come in a wide variety of colors, including hazel, green, blue, purple and gray.

    • Many of these colored contact lenses are available in plano form, for people with astigmatism, as bifocal contacts or disposable contact lens. Colored contact lens manufacturers work hard to copy the natural look of the iris (the iris is the colored portion of the eye). Since the iris itself is made up of colorful shapes and lines, some color contact lenses have a series of tiny colored dots so that they look more realistic.

    Colored Contact Lenses vs. Regular Contact Lenses

    When you want to have colored contact lenses, there are a couple disadvantages you should pay attention to before switching to or purchasing them. Although there are different sized lenses to fit most wearers, there will be some occasions where the colored portion of the lens may slide over the pupil a little bit. This most commonly happens when blinking.

    Also, because your pupil is constantly changing size to accommodate different light conditions, the pupil may sometimes be larger than the clear center of the lens. Your vision may slightly be affected when this happens.

    Emerald EyesAs with any other concerns, if you have continuous issues, it is important to consult your eye doctor. Colored contact lenses require cleanliness and extreme care, just like caring for regular contact lens. Also, like with regular contact lenses, it is never a good idea to share or swap colored lenses with friends because it can also share bacteria or infections. Colored contacts must be properly cleaned and disinfected with the proper cleaning products/ solutions.

    As with regular contact lenses, colored lenses require a prescription from your eye doctor, even plano lenses. If you see colored lenses being sold without a prescription it is most likely illegal and you should avoid those vendors and stores.

    Choosing Your Color

    Picking the color you want is one of the most difficult decisions for those looking to buy colored contact lenses for the first time. Think about how bold or different you want your color to be when you are deciding on a color. Also, you skin tone and wearing makeup can affect how your eyes appear with the colored contact lenses. If you want a more natural look, it is best to pick a color closer to your natural color. But if you want to make a statement you can choose a more extreme option.

    At Ifairy Con we can help make recommendations based on your desired look and results. Visit Ifairycon store today to find out what would work best for you. We have a variety of colors and design to suit everyones needs.