When it comes to impressive inventions, contact lenses should be number one on the list. This is because through the contact lens, a person can not only correct their vision, but also change their appearance. Lenses capable of the latter are often termed cool contact lenses, but for some, cool contact lenses could also be those that defy conventional contact lens technology in some way.
Cutting edge contact lens technology
The first type of contact lenses that can be defined as cool are those that utilize groundbreaking technology. An example can be found through contact lenses that offer more convenience when it comes to wear. Ortho-K is one brand of contact lens that does exactly this, as it is designed to be worn both day and night. Additionally, Ortho-K contact lenses actually help in restructuring the eye. This means Ortho-K users could get away with not wearing the lenses for a couple of days and still have 20/20 vision. The corrective effect doesn’t last much longer, but it is still drastically better than what ‘normal’ contact lenses can do.
Implantable contact lenses
Of course, there is a lens alternative even better than Ortho-K; they are called implantable contact lenses, a second type of contact lenses that have broken technological molds concerning eyewear. Implantable contact lenses are contact lenses that are surgically placed into the eye and remain there basically for the rest of a person’s life. They are the only contact lens available on the market that do not have to be taken out at all. Two companies that offer implantable contact lens procedures are Verisyse and Visian ICL.
Cosmetic contact lenses
The second type of contact lenses that can be defined as cool are cosmetic contact lenses. These are contact lenses that transform how the eye actually looks. They can also offer corrective benefits, though there are plano contact lenses available for individuals with normal vision.
Either type of contact lens can offer aesthetic changes as mild as a simple color change to something more major. Major changes can include things like cat eyes, eyes with ‘jaws’, bloody eyes, or cartoon-like eyes. Many of these contact lenses can be found in beauty supply stores, flea markets or online, but it is important that a person do not buy them unless they have a prescription. Many individuals have actually gone blind after getting severe infections from cosmetic contact lenses purchased without a prescription. The problem has gotten so widespread that many states have taken legal action against any enterprise selling non-prescriptive cosmetic contact lenses.
The two categories of cool contact lenses are those that offer some sort of technological breakthrough such as through wear or corrective ability and those that make the eye look different. Granted, everyone will have their own opinion on what truly makes cool contact lenses cool. Older people will be more concerned with the functionality of a contact lens, while younger people will be concerned about how it makes them look. Either way, it doesn’t matter. What matters is whether or not the contact lens has achieved the main objective of the person wearing them. This is what should truly define cool contact lenses.