Most people who try colored contact lenses are thrilled with the experience, not only with the cosmetic change in appearance but also the surprisingly high level of comfort that the lenses provide. The only downside can be the expense of purchasing colored contacts in the doctor's office which can often be marked up to a premium.
Today it is simple and convenient to purchase discount colored contact lenses online from a number of highly regarded companies. From the comfort of your own home you can fax in your prescription, select your color contacts and sit back and wait for delivery! The first order of business when ordering colored contacts is to verify that the online company you are considering doing business with is reputable. The easiest way to confirm this is by verifying that they require a prescription dispensed from your qualified eye care professional.
Today it is simple and convenient to purchase discount colored contact lenses online from a number of highly regarded companies. From the comfort of your own home you can fax in your prescription, select your color contacts and sit back and wait for delivery! The first order of business when ordering colored contacts is to verify that the online company you are considering doing business with is reputable. The easiest way to confirm this is by verifying that they require a prescription dispensed from your qualified eye care professional.
Contents at a Glance
So why do I need a prescription?
Once upon a time, you could purchase a pair of colored contact lenses without a prescription but today it is mandatory under Federal law for both corrective and "plano" (non-corrective) contact lenses. Until recently, plano contact lenses were considered cosmetic devices rather than medical devices and could be obtained without the consent and care of an eye care professional.
This unregulated attitude about non-corrective "plano" contact lenses created a market place where consumers were often times being sold unsafe products to put in their eyes. Due to an increase in injuries, complaints and a subsequent investigation, the Food and Drug Administration first issued an alert to current and potential customers stating that plano lenses "present significant risks of blindness and other eye injury if they are distributed without a prescription or without proper fitting by a qualified eye care professional."
Even with the FDA stepping up to warn, injuries were still being reported from defective or misused "plano" lenses. Most often the injuries were minor infections or irritations as a result from improper handling and cleaning that could have been easily addressed through education dispensed by a medical provider. However, some injuries reported were more significant such as allergic reactions caused by bad dyes, corneal abrasions as a result of a poor fit, and even create corneal erosion due to a lack of oxygen to the eye.
This unregulated attitude about non-corrective "plano" contact lenses created a market place where consumers were often times being sold unsafe products to put in their eyes. Due to an increase in injuries, complaints and a subsequent investigation, the Food and Drug Administration first issued an alert to current and potential customers stating that plano lenses "present significant risks of blindness and other eye injury if they are distributed without a prescription or without proper fitting by a qualified eye care professional."
Even with the FDA stepping up to warn, injuries were still being reported from defective or misused "plano" lenses. Most often the injuries were minor infections or irritations as a result from improper handling and cleaning that could have been easily addressed through education dispensed by a medical provider. However, some injuries reported were more significant such as allergic reactions caused by bad dyes, corneal abrasions as a result of a poor fit, and even create corneal erosion due to a lack of oxygen to the eye.
