Is Colored Contact Safe?They’re big on Instagram, but probably not safe.

Most tinted lenses are not FDA-approved, but influencers and even regular customers promote them online.
I bought my first pair of colored contact lenses at an accessories store in Koreatown.A middle-aged Korean shop assistant persuaded my then teenage self to pay $30 for hazelnut contact lenses that would lighten and “enhance” my eyes.In fact, he didn’t have to do much to convince me.A YouTube video has convinced me.

Yearly Colored Contact Lenses

Yearly Colored Contact Lenses
In 2010, Michelle Phan — now considered a YouTube beauty pioneer — uploaded a viral entertainment of Lady Gaga’s makeup in a Bad Romance music video.About six minutes into the video, Phan suddenly puts on a pair of round grey contact lenses, and she blinks quickly as her eyes take an unnatural, doll-like shape.Round lenses, which are not regulated by the FDA, create the illusion of large eyes through color patterns on the iris.”Look how old they look now?” reads the caption in the video.
The beauty shot craze started in Asia more than a decade ago, and the trend has spread quickly through YouTube, blogs and online forums — spreading among young women and cosplayers who dress up as characters in pop culture .Months after Phan’s viral video was published, The New York Times published a story about the risks behind circular lenses that aren’t FDA-approved to enhance the eyes.
(The FDA requires suppliers to register products on its website before commercial distribution; this is a process that overseas suppliers can ignore because their business does not depend solely on U.S. customers.)
The widespread concern about these unregulated lenses has faded over time, but each year, the FDA, the Federal Trade Commission and the American Academy of Ophthalmology warn customers to be wary of buying tinted lenses without a prescription, usually around Halloween.Serious eye infections and even partial blindness could result, they warn.Luckily for me, I didn’t seriously hurt myself.Although I was told they were good for a year, I threw away the contact lenses after a few months because they were drying out my eyes and I’ve been skeptical of them ever since.
The past two years have seen a subtle resurgence in colored contact lenses from overseas suppliers with whimsical names such as TTD Eye, Ohmykitty4u, Uniqso and Pinky Paradise.They cater to a specific clientele: TTD Eye is popular with beauty influencers who love hazel and grey lenses, while Uniqso is a cosplayer’s paradise looking for vibrant, twisted-looking round lenses.
Since it is 2019, the preferred marketing platform is now Instagram rather than YouTube.These contact lenses are not just for beauty gurus, makeup artists, and micro-influencers trying to become big-name influencers, but your average consumer as well.
On Instagram, vendors control a network of hundreds of thousands of followers built on sponsored posts and affiliate marketing.The company finds lifestyle and beauty influencers for affiliate partners, offering them free lenses and the potential to earn commissions in exchange for posts or videos.
Others have looser standards for their similar influencer partnerships, requiring only a blog or an active Instagram account to promote products.But for the most part, these partnerships and products appear to be unregulated online, creating a free market where the popularity of contact lens brands determines consumer trust.
When Caitlin Alexander ran an alternative fashion blog in 2015, she swapped out five different pairs of round lenses every week, ranging from electric blue to mustard yellow.It was a rebellious habit that she stopped shortly after a pair of “bad touches” severely damaged her vision for the day.
The day before, she wore soft pink lenses from Malaysian supplier Uniqso for eight hours (as usual), waking up with extremely light-sensitive eyes.

Yearly Colored Contact Lenses

Yearly Colored Contact Lenses

“When I took out those pink contact lenses at night, my eyes were a little blurry,” recalls the 28-year-old.”But the next day, I couldn’t even see any light source and couldn’t see clearly for hours.”
People of color are not necessarily harmful; federally regulated brands like Freshlook, Air Optix and Acuvue require a prescription to get them.Contacts sold from overseas suppliers are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased in pairs.Lenses retail for as low as $15 per pair (excluding shipping), but prices vary by contact lens wear time, prescription, and brand.
Interested lens buyers tend to congregate on online forums or blogs to discuss which suppliers are the most reputable and offer the best prices.Some brands are wary of brands that don’t verify customers’ prescriptions or that take weeks to ship.
Still, the problem with buying decorative lenses online is that there is such a vast market to choose from that some products—especially those available without a prescription—may not be tested to be safe to use.


Post time: Apr-19-2022