Decorative Contact Research Articles

Unregulated Decorative Lenses: A Brief Definitive Review.

Contact lenses are US Food and Drug Administration-regulated medical devices that are a safe and effective method for the correction of refractive error. They are worn by an estimated 45 million Americans. Decorative contact lenses (DCLs) can be used for patients with medical conditions such as failed corneas or aniridia. However, DCLs have also gained popularity in the young, contact lens-naïve population. DCL users often buy lenses through unregulated sources without a clinical examination and education on proper use by an eye care professional. These lenses have a significantly higher risk of infection when compared with contact lenses for the correction of refractive error. To reduce the incidence of microbial keratitis, regulators and eye care professionals must make coordinated efforts to generate and disseminate prevention messages to all contact lens users. In addition, physician and patient reporting of contact lens-related complications to regulatory agencies enhances the pathway to risk reduction. This article reviews DCL use and supply, with a specific focus on the increased risk of contact lens-related complications in unsupervised DCL use.

Decorative Contact Lenses: What Teens and Parents Need to Know

Patient Education| 2021 Decorative Contact Lenses: What Teens and Parents Need to Know Connected Content Translation: Lentes de contacto decorativas: Lo que deben saber adolescentes y padres: (Decorative Contact Lenses: What Teens and Parents Need to Know) Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Decorative Contact Lenses: What Teens and Parents Need to Know. Pediatric Patient Education 2021; 10.1542/peo_document606 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All AAP SitesAll PublicationsPediatric Patient Education Search Advanced Search Topics: contact lenses, eye Read more from the American Academy of Pediatrics about how to protect your eyes from harm. Decorative contact lenses are considered medical devices. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees their safety and effectiveness, just like regular contact lenses. Though they only change the look of your eyes and do not correct your vision, an exam, a prescription, and proper lens care are important. Decorative contact lenses are sometimes called Fashion contact lensesHalloween contact lensesColor contact lensesCosmetic contact lensesTheatrical contact lenses Wearing decorative contact lenses can be risky, just like the contact lenses that correct your vision. The risks of not using contact lenses correctly include A cut or scratch on the top layer of your eyeball (corneal abrasion)Allergic reactions like itchy, watery red eyesDecreased visionInfectionBlindness Also, if you are wearing... Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Pediatrics. All rights reserved. You do not currently have access to this content.

Practitioner Perceptions of Patients Wearing Decorative Contact Lenses Purchased Through Unauthorized Sellers.

To describe practitioner experiences regarding ocular complications in patients wearing decorative contact lenses, and to investigate the compliance of unauthorized distributors of decorative contact lenses to current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations. Also, to provide data to support a more targeted public health approach to reducing the incidence of illegal contact lens sales and associated ocular complications. An institutional review board-approved online survey was distributed through mass email to a list of 98 optometrists in the Boston, MA area. Concurrently, an empirical evaluation of independent, online decorative contact lens sellers who were not associated with FDA-approved contact lens manufacturers was performed to determine their adherence to FDA and FTC guidelines. The first 18 noncoincidental websites that resulted from a Google search for "costume contact lens sellers" and "cosmetic contact lens sellers" were examined as to the brands and parameters of lenses being sold, whether or not a valid prescription was required or verified, and if consumer education was provided. Twenty-two optometrists completed the online survey. Seventy-seven percent of respondents reported having patients with complications from decorative contact lenses that were purchased both legally and illegally. The most common age group for complications was 18 to 25 years (61%). One third of complications were seen in first-time lens wearers, half of whom never received proper care instructions or were unaware that care instructions existed. One quarter of the lenses were purchased illegally with unlicensed stores being the most common place of purchase. Of the 18 online sites examined, 72% of sellers failed to adhere to FTC and FDA regulations. A significant number of individuals who obtain contact lenses illegally from unauthorized sources are young adults. Most unauthorized sellers reviewed did not adhere to the proper protocol for selling contact lenses or instruct their customers on proper lens wear and care. A significant percentage of optometrists responding to the survey reported complications associated with contact lenses purchased through unauthorized sources, suggesting that the risk of contact lens-related complications increases when the lenses are purchased from one of these sources.

Over-the-Counter Decorative Contact Lenses: Cosmetic or Medical Devices? A Case Series

To illustrate the implications of the unauthorized sale and unmonitored wearing of decorative cosmetic contact lenses resulting in ocular complications and to determine the prevalence of the use of cosmetic contact lenses obtained from unlicensed providers by adolescents. Observational case report, structured interview, and survey in a retrospective, observational, clinical practice setting. Reported sources of contact lenses were categorized as provider and nonprovider, and associations within the data were reviewed by using a Pearson correlation and chi-square test. Twelve patients (eight female and four male) were seen urgently for acute eye pain and redness after wearing plano decorative contact lenses. None of the patients had previously worn a contact lens. None of the lenses were dispensed by eye care professionals. Four patients developed blinding infections requiring hospital admission. Causative organisms included staphylococci, Pseudomonas, and acanthamoeba. One patient required a penetrating keratoplasty. One hundred fifty-nine patients were surveyed. Thirty-seven (23%) used decorative contact lenses. Lenses were obtained from an unlicensed provider 51% of the time. Education about lens care and handling was significantly associated with acquiring lenses from licensed providers (R = 0.74, P < 0.0001). Colored noncorrective contact lenses are being dispensed without a prescription or fitting from unlicensed vendors. Patients who acquire lenses from unauthorized providers are significantly less likely to be instructed on appropriate lens use and care. Consequently, uninformed lens wearers are experiencing acute vision-threatening infections and inflammation.