As people prepare for Halloween, looking for the final touches for the perfect costume, some may take it too far by wearing colored contact lenses.  A consumer update issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reminds consumers that contact lenses are not intended to be novelty items and are actually medical devices only to be sold with a valid prescription.  Specifically, the FDA notes that anyone advertising contact lenses, even contact lenses without any vision correction, as a cosmetics or over-the-counter product is breaking the law.

Contact lenses that are not correcting vision still need to be fitted by an optometrist or ophthalmologist.  They must measure each eye to properly fit the lenses and evaluate how your eye responds to contact lens wear.  Eye doctors also help new contacts wearers understand how to properly care for and clean the lenses to minimize risks.  A poor fit can cause serious eye damage.  Risks include scratches on the cornea, an ulcer on the cornea, conjunctivitis, decreased vision, and blindness.  Contacts not kept clean or moisturized can lead to an infection, which can escalate rapidly with ulcers and blindness.

CBS News also emphasizes the risk of not going to the ophthalmologist or optometrist to make sure that the contacts fit properly.  Improper fit can lead to scratches on the cornea, which is the clear dome of tissue above the colored iris portion of the eye.  Risks are present almost immediately, with damage possible within a few seconds of wearing a contact lens that does not fit or has not been cared for properly.

According to WebMD, contact lenses are small plastic or silicone discs shaped to correct an eyesight problem such as nearsightedness, farsightedness, presbyopia, or astigmatism. These are called refractive errors. They may also be used by people who have had surgery for cataracts.  Improvements in contact lenses have made them more comfortable and easier to wear. Millions of people wear contact lenses, and most wear soft lenses. For these people, contact lenses offer a relatively safe and effective way of correcting vision problems.

Contact lenses, even if properly purchased, can still present a risk if the person is not able or willing to care for the lenses properly, would have a hard time handling the lenses, have certain medical conditions that make it difficult or dangerous to wear contacts, or have a job that exposes you to particles, chemical fumes, or other vapors that are bad for the eyes.