Beauty trends come and go, and sometimes seem silly in retrospect. Remember the banana clip?
One potentially dangerous trend this year is the use of what are sometimes called “Circle Lenses.” These are very wide diameter contact lenses that create the look of a much larger iris, or colored part of the eye. With the right makeup and eyelashes, it gives the wearer the look of an anime, or Japanese cartoon character. They are very dramatic and seem tempting, but patients should be aware of the risks of these contact lenses.
One of the primary companies selling these lenses is based in Malaysia and sells them over the internet without requiring a doctor’s prescription. The FDA regulates that contact lenses can only be purchased with a current doctor’s contact lens prescription, but the FDA is limited on how they can police international website sales. These lenses are manufactured in an older, less breathable material that today’s frequent replacement contact lens wearers will find to be very uncomfortable.
What’s worse, these lenses are typically available in only one shape, or base curve. Of course, everyone’s eye shape as well as prescription is different. This is why your eye doctor has to take special measurements of the front of your eye to make sure the contact lens will fit your eye safely, allowing tears and oxygen to exchange properly under the lens. A contact lens that isn’t fit correctly to the patient’s eye can lead to very serious infections and sometimes permanent vision loss. Don’t take a chance with the health of your eyes for this dangerous beauty trend.