Cosmetic lenses

These types of contact lenses are worn to enhance the appearance. They can help to improve your vision but not to the same extent as a corrective lens. The main function of a cosmetic lens is just that: to act as a form of decoration for the eye.

The other two types of lens are corrective lenses and medical lenses.

There are two ways of doing this:

• Different colour, e.g. red, blue green, yellow etc
• Novelty designs, e.g. smileys, gothic, halloween etc

These lenses are often used by the film and special effects industries and the theatre. Different coloured lens are used as part of a costume in a horror film or to create an effect.

However, there are people who enjoy wearing them when out at a nightclub or a similar social event. This often applies to novelty lenses.

Novelty lenses are discussed in greater detail in our types of contact lenses section and within the soft contact lenses subsection.

These lenses are often designed for a single use only and must be fitted correctly. Do not share or exchange these with other people as this can lead to eye problems such as infections.

Cosmetic lenses, such as those used in the film and entertainment industry are larger in size than other types of lenses. This makes them more difficult to place in the eye plus they tend not to move easily across the surface of the eye.

Vision may be impaired with these as there is a much smaller area to look through. This is why they are often worn for short periods of time.

Cosmetic lenses can be worn by anyone irrespective of whether you wear glasses, contact lenses or have perfect vision. They can be purchased without the need for a prescription and are widely available.