Theatrical Contact Lenses

Crazy Colored Contacts

Have you ever felt the urge to go just a little bit further with your contact lenses? To play with some different styles? To give your friends a good shock? Theatrical contact lenses - crazy colored contacts - might just be right for you!

Theatrical contact lenses come in all colors, patterns, and shapes - they are made up of soft contact lens material, which is identical to the soft contacts lenses you may wear regularly, with one very important difference - they're fun to wear! Choose from literally dozens of different styles, and find yourself some crazy colored contacts that are right for you. One of the most popular events for theatrical contact lenses is - yes, this is a tough one - Halloween! But why limit yourself to just one day a year? Theatrical contact lenses have the durability to last all year, so why not get some use out of them? Enjoy a good prank on your friends, or wear lenses to suit your mood. Just go and have some fun!

How much do theatrical contact lenses cost?

There are a number of companies who offer costume contacts, the most popular of which being Crazy Lenses by CooperVision, and WildEyes by CIBA. These are soft contacts and tend to be at the cheaper end of the spectrum of theatrical contact lenses. There's a huge range in the prices of theatrical contact lenses, from about $50/pair up to around $500/pair and this is largely due to the quality of the lens patterns and the specific pattern that you are looking for.

See your optometrist first

While you don't need to have a refractive error (ie. nearsightedness or far-sightedness) to wear theatrical contact lenses, it's important that they are fit by your optometrist. Crazy colored contacts are made of the same material as your regular contact lenses and they must therefore be taken care of, just like your regular contacts. Otherwise, you run the risk of developing infection, scratching your eye with lenses that don't fit properly, or just plain being uncomfortable. Your optometrist can find the best lenses that work for your eyes.

How well will I be able to see with my contacts in?

You can order most theatrical contact lenses with a wide range of prescriptions, so as long as you know the prescription that you need, then your vision in theatrical contact lenses should be just as good as your vision with regular contacts or glasses. All theatrical contact lenses are available without a prescription as well, so if you have perfect vision, then you will see just as well with and without the lenses.

It is important to note that for the crazy colored contacts that have a black center, the actual center of the contact lens is clear, which means that you will be able to see when you have the lenses in. If ever you find contact lenses that have a white center (or any other color besides black), then chances are you won't be able to see when you are wearing the lenses. Most often, the company will denote this with a caption saying "No vision."

How do the contacts change the color of the white part of my eye?

For the contacts that show that the white part of the eye (the "sclera") is no longer white (examples are blue, black, bloodshot, and red sclera), then these theatrical contact lenses are much larger than the contact lenses you may be accustomed to wearing and are colored around the edges to hide the white of your eye. They are somewhat trickier to put in your eye, and there is a chance that they will be a little bit more difficult to tolerate.

Can I share my contact lenses with friends?

Absolutely not. This may seem a bit harsh, but there are two very good reasons why it's dangerous to share lenses:

1. Everyone's eyes are shaped differently. The lenses that fit your friend's eyes perfectly may be too big or too small for you, which puts you at risk of very painful scratches to the eye from the contact lens. This has the potential to cause serious harm and possibly even permanent vision loss.
2. Bacteria is everywhere, including our eyes. By sharing lenses, you are running the risk of using contaminated lenses which can result in a serious eye infection.