Experts are warning to never buy decorative contact lenses without a prescription.
In recent years, there's been a steep rise in the use of decorative contact lenses around Halloween time.
As costumes grow ever more advanced and complicated, people are turning to coloured contact lenses that change the appearance and colour of their eyes.
However, few know the risks associated with these lenses.
"Most people believe that decorative lenses do not require the same level of care or consideration as a standard contact lens because they can be purchased over-the-counter or on the Internet," Thomas Steinemann, MD, professor of ophthalmology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland told the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).
"This is far from the truth."
In the United States, it's illegal to sell any contact lenses without a prescription.
All contact lenses are medical devices that require a prescription and proper fitting by an eye-care professional. "Many of the lenses found online or in beauty salons, novelty shops or in pop-up Halloween stores are not FDA-approved and are being sold illegally," Dr. Steinemann said.
''Extreme pain in both eyes.''
Just 10 hours after she first put in a pair of colored contact lenses that she’d bought at a souvenir shop, Laura Butler of Parkersburg, West Virginia had "extreme pain in both eyes," she told aao.org.
"Because I had not been properly fitted by an eye care professional, the lenses stuck to my eye like a suction cup."
In Miss Butler's case, the lenses caused an infection and left her with a corneal abrasion.
"I was in severe pain and on medication for four weeks and couldn't see well enough to drive for eight weeks,"she said.
"I now live with a corneal scar, vision damage and a drooping eyelid."
The AAO advise: ''Never buy colored contact lenses from a retailer who doesn’t ask for a prescription.
Even if you have perfect vision, you need to get an eye exam and a prescription from an eye care professional before you wear any kind of contact lens.''
