It's October and almost time for pumpkin carving and trick or treating! It's also Eye Health Safety Month, and while novelty contact lenses eyes, wild eyelashes and ghoulish makeup can complete your child's Halloween costume, it's important to use them safely to avoid injury and infection.
Tufts Medical Center's ChiHae Kwan, OD, Director of Optometry Services, shares tips on protecting your vision while enjoying the festivities.
Makeup and lashes
- Avoid glitter near your face and eyes! Small glitter particles can embed on the surface of the eye, causing pain, redness, and infection.
- Don't share eye makeup or old eye makeup that could be contaminated.
- Avoid putting eye makeup products directly on the eye or close to the lid line.
- Remove eye makeup at the end of the night, never sleep in eye makeup or face paint.
Novelty contact lenses
- Beware of non-prescription costume contact lenses. Novelty costume lenses that fit poorly can cause redness and irritation to the ocular surface, making the eye more vulnerable to serious bacterial infections. Unregulated contacts can be contaminated or improperly disinfected, which increases the risk of serious corneal ulcers. Only purchase contact lenses from retailers who require a prescription and sell FDA approved products.
- Don't share contact lenses and always remove contacts before sleeping.
Props and costume accessories
- Avoid sharp pointy accessories (e.g., pirate swords, witch wands, light sabers and spikes!) that can accidentally cause sharp eye injuries in dim and crowded environments.
Masks
- Make sure your face mask or costume does not impede your central or peripheral vision. Eye coverings like pirate patches can limit depth perception, which can increase risk of falls and injury.
If you experience any eye pain, redness, swelling or discharge from the eyes, make sure you contact your eye doctor immediately.
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