Safe to wear contact lenses without a contact lens assessment?

LolitaLove

I don't wear contact lenses/glasses ordinarily (although I am very slightly short sighted and have a prescription for this). I want to wear coloured contacts for an occasion, but cant get in for an assessment. I was going to buy some from contactlens.co.uk...I've bought some before, tried them, but didn't wear them as the green colour made me look like an alien. If I buy and wear some is it safe? Or is an assessment really neccessary? Thanks

loztredders

If it were me I'd be inclined not to, you only get one pair of eyes after all and its not a good idea to risk the health of them.
Contact lenses also aren't a one size fits and is suitable for all, I have odd shaped eyes for example and my contact lenses are made to fit this. Improper fitting lenses could scratch the eye, possibly leading to infection. Better to err on the side of caution I think.

lisawood78

I wear fashion contact lenses for fancy dress/stage etc and don't have a problem. As long as you apply them correctly and follow all the instructions on cleaning/removing etc.

I have astigmatism and they fit me fine. I am also myopic and wear glasses for this when driving.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Really no website should be allowed to sell contact lenses of any type without proof that you have seen an optician & they have said your eyes are healthy enough to wear them.

I personally wouldn't risk it, but I guess it's your eyes & not mine.

nedmundo

the_devil_made_me_do_it wrote: »

Really no website should be allowed to sell contact lenses of any type without proof that you have seen an optician & they have said your eyes are healthy enough to wear them.

They aren't! Any website doing this is knowingly breaking the law and puttings sales before public health. I'd report them to Trading Standards personally.

The other thing I would say is that there are some seriously iffy coloured lenses being imported in from the far east at the moment. I dread to think what materials and processes are involved, but they almost certainly wouldn't meet our legal standards.

c_denise

IMHO i would get the assessment. You only have 1 pair of eyes and I don't think you can get replacement for them if things go wrong.

pmduk

I'd be very wary of any company that is prepared to supply lenses without an assessment. If they have so little regard for their customers health should you trust the products they supply?

maypole

I would not take any risks where the eyes are concerned

GlasweJen

nedmundo wrote: »

They aren't! Any website doing this is knowingly breaking the law and puttings sales before public health. I'd report them to Trading Standards personally.

The other thing I would say is that there are some seriously iffy coloured lenses being imported in from the far east at the moment. I dread to think what materials and processes are involved, but they almost certainly wouldn't meet our legal standards.

We had a patient not long ago who bought lenses online and her eyes burned when she put them in, came into see us because after wearing them for 8 hours at an event of some sort her eyes were red and puffy and sore etc. We sent her to A&E turns out they were in peroxide which she'd wandered about wearing all day! Muppet, apparently she thought we could prescribe a cream to help!

mishkanorman

GlasweJen wrote: »

We had a patient not long ago who bought lenses online and her eyes burned when she put them in, came into see us because after wearing them for 8 hours at an event of some sort her eyes were red and puffy and sore etc. We sent her to A&E turns out they were in peroxide which she'd wandered about wearing all day! Muppet, apparently she thought we could prescribe a cream to help!

It never ceases to amaze me the lengths people go to all in the name of saving a few quid !