There was a time when a person’s eye color was determined at birth and was destined to keep that eye color for the rest of their life. With modern-day ophthalmology, however, this is no longer the case. People now have the freedom to change their eye color in literally one second, through the magic of colour contact lenses. With colour contact lenses, eye color can become as much of a physical fashion accessory as tattoos or body piercing.
Colour contacts are categorized by the type of tint they are designed in. The tints available that actually change eye color include: enhancement, color and light-filtering.
Enhancement tints are slightly colored tints that are used just like its namesake suggests: to enhance the eye color that one was born with. Allaboutvision.com recommends enhancement tints for persons who want to create a more dramatic effect for light-colored eyes.
Color tints, on the other hand, completely change one’s eye color. They are darker than enhancement tints and are available in several colors. These colors can be those naturally occurring in the human eye or, in the case of theatrical color tints, something more imaginative.
Conversely, there are light-filtering tints which work completely different from enhancement or color tints. Light-filtering tints affect eye color along with objects the eye is seeing. They are commonly used among athletes who are trying to find ways to see the ball they are throwing better.
Sounds interesting?
If colour contacts sound interesting, one will have to get a current prescription in order to obtain them. This is the case whether or not an individual has developmental visual problems.
Why is this so?
It is because contact lenses, colorized or not, are serious business. Improper use of contact lenses could cause eye problems. In extreme cases contact lenses may even cause blindness. A licensed optometrist can provide lenses that are both safe and easy-to-use. In the scenario that a person does not have any vision problems, they will simply be prescribed what are known as ‘plano’ lenses. These are colour contacts that offer no form of vision correction.
Colour contact lenses come in three different types: enhancement, color and light-filtering. Of these tint types, color tints change the eye the most dramatically, while a light-filtering tint slightly affects one’s vision. All tints require a visit to the optometrist before being able to get them. If one tries to get colour contact lenses without a prescription, not only are they breaking the law, but they are putting their eyes at risk. On either level it isn’t worth it, especially since most colour contact lenses can be purchased quite easily from Lenscrafters or Hour Eyes.