Consumer Health Information

www.fda.gov/consumer

Colored and Decorative

Contact Lenses:
A Prescription Is A Must

ouldnt it be cool to
have vampire eyes for
Halloween? Or deep
violet eyes to match your
purple sweater? How about your
favorite sports teams logo on
your eyes just for fun?
You can have all of these looks with
decorative contact lenses (sometimes
called fashion, costume, or colored contact lenses). These lenses

dont correct visionthey just change

how your eyes look.
But you need a prescription to avoid
eye injury. Before buying decorative
lenses, heres what you should know.
They are not cosmetics or overthe-counter merchandise. They
are medical devices regulated by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Places that advertise them as cosmetics or sell them over-the-counter,
without a prescription, are breaking
the law.

1 / FDA Consumer Health Infor mat ion / U. S. Food and Drug Administrat ion

They are not one size fits all.

An eye doctor (ophthalmologist or
optometrist) must measure each eye
to properly fit the lenses and evaluate
how your eye responds to contact lens
wear. A poor fit can cause serious eye
damage, including:
scratches on the cornea (the clear
dome of tissue over the iristhe
part of the eye that gives you your
eye color)
corneal infection (an ulcer or sore
on the cornea)
F EBRUA R Y 2016

Consumer Health Information

www.fda.gov/consumer

Its especially important to read and follow

all instructions because you can injure your
eyes if you do not use these medical device
products according to the labeling.
conjunctivitis (pink eye)
decreased vision
blindness
Places that sell decorative lenses
without a prescription may give you
few or no instructions on how to
clean and care for your lenses. Failure to use the proper solution to
keep contact lenses clean and moist
can lead to infections, says Bernard
P. Lepri, O.D., M.S., M.Ed., an FDA
optometrist in the agencys Contact
Lens and Retinal Devices Branch.
Bacterial infections can be extremely
rapid, result in corneal ulcers, and
cause blindnesssometimes within
as little as 24 hours if not diagnosed
and treated promptly.
The problem isnt with the decorative contacts themselves, adds Lepri.
Its the way people use them improperlywithout a valid prescription,
without the involvement of a qualified eye care professional, or without
appropriate follow-up care.

Where NOT to Buy Contact Lenses

FDA is aware that many places illegally sell decorative contact lenses
to consumers without valid prescriptions for as little as $20.
You should never buy lenses from:
street vendors
salons or beauty supply stores
boutiques
flea markets
novelty stores
Halloween stores

record or video stores

convenience stores
beach shops
Internet sites that do not require a
prescription
These are not authorized distributors of contact lenses, which are prescription devices by federal law. You
can talk with your eye care provider
if you have questions. And if you
find a Web site you think is illegally
selling contact lenses over the Web,
you should report it to FDA (http://
www.fda.gov/Safety/ReportaProblem/
ucm059315.htm).

How to Safely Wear Decorative

Contact Lenses

Get an eye exam from a licensed

eye doctor (ophthalmologist or
optometrist), even if you feel your
vision is perfect.
Get a valid prescription that
includes the brand name, lens measurements, and an expiration date.
Dont buy a n i me or c i rc le
lensesand dont expect your eye
doctor to prescribe them. These
bigger-than-normal lenses that give
the wearer a wide-eyed, doll-like look
have not been cleared by the FDA.
Buy the lenses from a seller
that requires you to provide a
prescription, whether you purchase
them in person or shop online.
Follow all directions for cleaning,
disinfecting, and wearing the lenses,
and visit your eye doctor for follow-up

2 / FDA Consumer Health Infor mat ion / U. S. Food and Drug Administrat ion

eye exams. Its especially important

to read and follow all instructions
because you can injure your eyes if
you do not use these medical device
products according to the labeling.
(See additional information about
cleaning solutions with hydrogen peroxide on the FDA website: http://www.
fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/
ucm487420.htm)
See your eye doctor right away
if you have signs of possible eye
infection:
redness
e ye pain that doesnt go away after
a short time
decrease in vision

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Updates at www.fda.gov/
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