Health Canada Regulations
IMPORTANT - If you're considering getting colored contacts, even if you have perfect vision, you need to get an eye exam and a prescription from an eye-care professional in order to wear any kind of contact lens. Lenses that are not properly fitted may scratch the eye or cause blood vessels to grow into the cornea. There is no such thing as a "one size fits all" contact lens.
The Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO), the Opticians Association of Canada (OAC) and the Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) warn that vision loss, sometimes permanent, can result from improper use of cosmetic contact lenses. Starting July 2016 Health Canada announced regulatory changes that all lenses will be treated as medical devices. All contact lenses, worn for any purpose, require a valid contact lens prescription written by a qualified eye-care professional and cannot be sold to consumers without one.
Always ensure you are buying contact lenses, even if they are colored or special-effect contacts, from an authorized dealer. The quality of the material used to manufacture the lenses can be inferior. Please purchase wisely, be safe and have fun.
Safely Wear Colored Contacts
At Crescent Heights Optometry we will ensure your contacts are safe and comfortable and look natural on your eye. Our vision clinic also offers state-of-the-art colored contact lenses from industry-leading providers such as Air-Optix Colors and Freshlook Colorblends.
Color contacts come in both prescription and plano forms:
- Prescription color contacts will correct your myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) orastigmatism, as well as enhancing or completely changing your eye color.
- Plano color contacts are worn purely for cosmetic purposes to change your eye color and have no lens power for vision correction.
- Prescription color contacts will correct your myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) orastigmatism, as well as enhancing or completely changing your eye color.
Choosing the Right Colored Lenses
There are three kinds of tints for colored contacts:
Visibility tint - These lenses usually comes in a light blue or green tint, the colored lens is too light to affect the color of your eye but it will help you see the lens better during insertion, removal or if you drop it.
Enhancement tint - These colored lenses have a solid but translucent (see-through) tint which comes a bit darker than a visibility tint. The tint will give the wearer's eye color a natural looking enhancement. These contact lenses are usually best for people with lighter colored eyes that want their blue eyes a deeper blue or hazel eyes a more vibrant green. These lenses will brighten your eyes with highlights and intensify the natural tones.
Opaque tint - Have a non-transparent tint which can change eye color completely. These lenses have pattern overlays and will blend seamlessly with your iris for a natural-looking appearance. If you have dark colored eyes this is the type of contact lens you will need in order to change your eye color. If you are looking for a natural-looking change, try a lighter honey brown or hazel colored lens.
However, if you really want to stand out from the crowd, opt for contact lenses in vivid colors, such as blue, green or violet. And if your skin is dark a bright-colored lens can create a show-stopping new look.
Custom Tinted Contact Lenses
If you're after a truly individualized look, some contact lens manufacturers specialize in creating custom color tints for both prescription and non-prescription contact lenses.
Custom-made tints are created from a variety of colors in varying densities. Customized color lenses typically are semi-translucent, creating a natural-looking appearance. They can even camouflage a congenital eye defect or eye injury, or mimic the appearance of a healthy pupil.
Colored Contact Lens Brands
