Copyright 2007 www.eyes-and-vision.com
So if you can tint a contact lense in order to help the patient find it, why not add tint to actually change the patient's eye color?
Well, they did just that for soft contacts (hard or rigid contacts
aren't big enough for the effect to work properly) in 1984. A process for tinting soft contacts was invented
that could change the color of light blue or green eyes only.
Colored contacts were only mildly popular until 1986, when
Wesley-Jenssen, Inc from Chicago introducted lenses that could change
brown eyes to blue, aquamarine, or green. It was at this point
that the contact lense industry started booming again.
For
years, hard and rigid gas permeable contact lenses have actually been
slightly tinted. This is not for looks, it just helps a patient
find a contact lense easier if he/she happens to drop it. The
tint is so light, that it is not visible when the lense is worn by the
user.
Some wear these lenses not to correct their vision, but purely for cosmetic reasons. There
is nothing wrong with this, but remember: the risk of infection with
colored contact lenses is just as great as with regular lenses.
Take the time to properly disinfect them, and try not to wear them for
more than 24 hours at a time.
Contact Lenses: Tinted & Colored
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