Selecting the Right Color Contact Lenses for Your Eyes

If you’re like many people, you often look at yourself in the mirror and wonder what you would look like with an eye color different from that of your natural shade. Part of this curiosity might be caused by seeing celebrities known for their distinctive eye or hair color. Most of us know how to change our hair color – whether we visit a salon or do it ourselves – but we may not know how easy it is to change our eye color!

That said, knowing which hair color will be best for our skin tone is as important as knowing which color contact lenses will look best is of equal importance. Your hairdresser can provide input on the best hair color, just as Dr. Allyson Tang Optometrist can play an essential role in selecting colored contact lenses for you. Call us today for a contact lens consultation for colored eye contacts in Vaughan. In the meantime, here’s an overview of how to choose the right colored contact lenses near you for your eyes!

How To Select the Right Color Contact Lenses?

Here are some factors to consider while selecting color contact lenses for your eyes:

No Vision Correction Required

You may wonder whether a prescription to correct your vision is required for colored contact lenses and worry that you cannot change the color of your eyes if you have perfect vision. The good news is that colored contact lenses come in two forms:

• Prescription-strength that changes your eye color while also correcting nearsightedness or farsightedness
• Non-prescription lenses that do not contain any lens power (these are sometimes referred to as Plano-coloured contacts)

You may want to try colored contact lenses that you see advertised online or in other marketing channels that do not require the assistance of an eye doctor near you, especially if you don’t need vision correction. Eye health professionals warn against this practice since placing anything in your eye without a professional fitting poses risks such as corneal abrasions and severe eye infections, to name a few.

The risks with using over-the-counter (OTC) colored contact lenses are partially due to the lack of regulation of the ingredients contained in OTC products. For example, a recent study concluded that some OTC-colored contact lenses not administered through an optometrist or optician included chlorine. As you might imagine, placing chlorine in your eye and then covering it with a contact lens for an extended period is toxic and could result in vision loss. Rather than taking a risk such as that with your vision, Dr. Tang can provide you with colored contact lenses that are proven to be medically safe for the health of your eye.

Choose from Subtle Colours to Theatrical Tints

We know that everyone has their style. Some of you reading this may only want to enhance your natural eye colour, while others may want to alter their colour completely. That’s where the three types of coloured contact lenses come into play:

• Visibility Tints
• Enhancement Tints
• Opaque Tints

Visibility Tints

It helps wearers find their lenses when they are in the lens case or have dropped on the floor. The colour is so faint that it does not alter the eye colour.

Enhancement Tints

They are the most popular choice for wearers who want to enhance their natural eye color, such as going from a light hazel to brown or green. They can even turn light blue eyes into a rich periwinkle.

Opaque Tints

They change dark-colored eyes into light-colored eyes, which makes them an ideal choice for individuals with brown eyes. Wearers can transform their dark eyes into amethyst, blue, grey, or violet colors. Opaque tints are also for theatrical and special-effect use.

Three Questions to Ask Yourself

Here are three questions to ask yourself about which type of coloured eye contact lens is best for your goals:

• Do I want my coloured contacts to look natural?
• Do I want to change my eye colour completely even if it doesn’t look natural?
• Do I want my coloured contact lenses to be safe for my eye health and vision?

Visit an Eye Clinic Near You

If you are looking for color contact lenses in Vaughan, ON, we invite you to make an appointment with Dr. Allyson Tang Optometrist and her team today!