Custom Contact Lenses for Prosthetics and Special Effects

Custom contact lenses encompass both prosthetic and special effects contact lenses. Contact lenses can be custom-made to camouflage a congenital defect or eye injury as a result of an accident. The can also be made for theatrical effect. There is an aesthetic purpose in both prosthetic and special effects custom contact lenses, so both types will be discussed in this article.

Prosthetic Custom Contact Lenses

Prosthetic contact lenses are hand-painted. Often they are used to match a “normal” eye with one that has been damaged. An amazing realistic effect can be created with these labor-of-love, custom-made contact lenses. Custom, soft lenses are made from special materials that are comfortable to the eye and able to bond with the multi-layered pigments used to create the depth and definition similar to a real eye. Because of the one-of-a-kind nature of prosthetic lenses, prices can be as high as hundreds to thousands of dollars. There are no refunds offered by many of these companies due to the fact that lenses are unique to each individual. An initial consultation must be made with specific companies who offer this service and they will not substitute existing medical records for a complete examination. Patients can be color-matched during the initial consultation, fitted and measured, and photographed. Specific needs will be evaluated. Prosthetic lenses require regular maintenance as with any other contact lens. Lenses last one to two years if cared for properly. Custom lenses can be made to correct most vision problems except for astigmatism. The website www.customcontacts.com is one excellent resource for prosthetic custom contact lenses.     

Special Effects Custom Contact Lenses

Special effects contact lenses have been used by the motion picture industry for over 30 years and are now available to the public. www.customcontacts.com also offers a wide array of custom-made contacts for film, theater, or personal costume use. As with any lens, an initial consultation and examination must be made and patients must be fitted for contacts by an eye doctor.  Special effects lenses can be made to correct vision as well as for aesthetic effect. Each contact lens is designed customized to the request of the buyer. Some of the effects available include, bloody or hemorrhaged eyes, aged eyes, cataracts, blind effects, and mirrored eyes.

Custom contact lenses, though significantly more expensive and time-consuming to create, are one of a kind pieces of art. These lenses can last several years. With regular care and maintenance, they can provide hours of entertainment- whether in professional filmmaking, on the stage, or at home.

See in the Dark with Glow in the Dark Contact Lenses

There have been many innovations in the contact lens industry in the last 20 years. There are short-term and long-term use contact lenses. There are lenses for dry eyes, lenses for eyes with astigmatism, and lenses for eyes needing multifocal vision correction. Additionally, there are contact lenses for people who have no need for vision correction. There are contact lenses available for cosmetic reasons only. Colored contact lenses, cosmetic and special effects contact lenses serve the purpose of making the eye appear a certain way. There may be a true need for this, such as in a person born with eyes of two different colors. This person may choose colored lenses to correct this condition. The need may be only to create look, or costume. Or this may be for special effect, such as glow in the dark contact lenses on a movie werewolf. Contact lenses are used in Hollywood films quite often. Many styles of these lenses are now available to the public- though a prescription and fitting from an eye doctor is often still necessary.    

Some of the most popular “costume” contact lenses are glow in the dark contact lenses, cat’s eye and snake eye contact lenses, and colored or multicolored contact lenses. Brands like “Wild Eyes,” “Glowing FX,” and “Crazy Lenses” offer costume contact lenses with or without a prescription. Even non-prescription, or “plano,” lenses should be fitted by an eye doctor. Be advised that costume lenses can be toxic and irritating to the eyes so always go with a name brand and get a professional fitting.  

See No Evil

The types of special effect contact lenses are infinite. Dramatic revelers can even have lenses custom made to create their own unique look. Facts about some of the most popular types of costume lenses follow:

-Glow in the dark contact lenses are expensive and often sold out. Prices can run $100-$300 per pair. Most require a prescription and advise that they are for “theatrical purposes only.”

-Black sclera contact lenses make the entire eye appear black. Black sclera-mirrored lenses allow your friends to see themselves in the rolling black void of your eye. Freak out!

Tips for wearing costume lenses include: get fitted by a doctor, wear for only a few hours at a time, only order from your eye doctor or a reputable online site, do not share with friends as this can cause eye infection, and clean lenses per the instructions. Lastly, costume lenses like glow in the dark contact lenses can frighten unsuspecting motorists, party-goers, and passersby. Oh, and glow in the dark contact lenses will not actually allow you to see in the dark, so use with caution.

Colored contacts for dark eyes

Color Contacts for Dark Eyes

Light eyes on a dark skinned or dark haired beauty can stop you in your tracks. That beautiful, male actor who plays Warrick Brown on CSI: Las Vegas comes immediately to mind. It is a unique set of genetics that can bring about naturally bright, brilliant eyes. Dominant genes include brown eyes, brown hair, and the ability to roll your tongue. None of these dominant traits are as lovely as the rarer recessive genes like green, blue, and yellow eyes and fiery red or white blonde hair. If you aren’t blessed with show-stopping genetics, today’s trend is to buy cosmetic enhancements. Hair can be lightened and colored contacts for dark eyes can be bought, although I don’t think there is a cure for rolling your tongue. The focus of this article is on purchasing colored contacts for dark eyes.

When colored contacts first came on the market, interested buyers like me were informed that we really must stay within a similar range of color to our own eye color or go darker in color. It was not possible to wear a bright blue contact on a dark brown eye. Advances in contact lenses have made it easily possible to change your eye color to virtually any color you want. There are even special effects contact lenses that can give wearers bright “wolf eyes” or “white out” eyes. For those who are slightly less adventurous but still desire an aesthetic, color contacts for dark eyes are an excellent alternative.   

Where to Buy Color Contacts for Dark Eyes

Your eye doctor’s office is the best place to start when buying contact lenses. You may need a prescription and even if you do not want corrective lenses, you will need to be fitted for contact lenses. Once fitted, there are four types of colored contact lenses to choose from: visibility tints, enhancement tints, opaque color tints, and light filtering tints. The differences in the four types are as follows:  

Visibility tints: have a green or blue tint so that you can see the lens but do not change eye color

Enhancement tints: are similar colors to your eyes but subtly enhance/brighten color  

Opaque color tints: deeper color contacts for dark eyes to make natural eyes appear dramatically different/lighter in color

Light filtering tints: used in sports to make certain tints stand out-such as yellows in tennis (for the tennis ball) to enhance overall game play