Whether you’re a kid, you have kids or you’re just a kid at heart, Halloween can be a lot of fun. Like most things, however, it’s a good idea to take a few practical steps to ensure the fun isn’t derailed by any sort of injury. To that end, here are three tips to help keep your eyes safe this Halloween…

1. Avoid Decorative Contact Lenses

Costume contact lenses are not a good idea. While readily available at costume shops, online retailers and even convenience stores, decorative contact lenses present some pretty serious risks for your eyes. These lenses are often made with questionable materials and may come from disreputable sources. Even the “best” non-prescription contact lenses are unlikely to fit as they should, and most people wear them without proper contact lens education from an eye doctor. All this adds up to relatively high risk for eye scratches, sores and infections, and potentially even vision loss. 

2. Keep Makeup Away from Your Eyes

Makeup and face paint are great accents to many costumes, but just be careful with them around your eyes. Some of these products can sting or burn the skin and be substantial eye irritants. Select products that are hypoallergenic and first test them on a small patch of less sensitive skin to see if you have any reaction. Then, once you’re ready to apply them to your face, leave a reasonable margin around the eye. You want to limit the likelihood that any makeup or face paint will make direct contact with any part of your eye.

3. Leave Pointy Accessories at Home

From pirate swords to fairy wands, many costumes seem to include some form pointy-edged accessory. When you consider the potential risk of one of those points making contact with an eye, however, you may decide it’s best to leave those accessories at home. 9% of all eye injuries are caused by sharp objects. And the risk is elevated when children (and grownups) are running around outside in the dark.

As you head out for Halloween fun this year, do so with eye safety top of mind. Taking just a few precautions will help ensure your festive evening won’t have any frightening effects on your eye health. 

A friendly message from your friends at North Florida Cataract Specialists and Vision Care.