Echoes of the Past: Cosmetic contact lenses

Echoes of the Past returns to the mid-1980s this week, with a look at special Optician contact lens supplement, Contax, from September 1986. That month, the first episode of the Oprah Winfrey chat show was aired in the US and Desmond Tutu became the first black Anglican Church bishop in South Africa.

Today, the term ‘cosmetic contact lenses’ has a range of different meanings. From the potentially dangerous spooky plano lenses sold at Halloween to the new contacts which enhance the sparkle of the patient’s eye. In the 1980s, the lenses were fitted on patients with unsightly eyes to improve appearance and confidence of the patient.