With Halloween quickly approaching and people scrambling to sort out their costumes, we want to remind registrants of the importance of informing patients about how to protect their eyes this Halloween.
By law, contact lenses should only be sold by a doctor or registered optician. However, it is not uncommon for patients to buy zero-powered lenses illegally from shops or market stalls or online sellers, without realising the risks involved.
For this reason, Halloween is a good opportunity for registrants to ask their patients if they plan on using spooky lenses, and if so, to advise them to only buy them from a registered optician or doctor. As a professional, you will be able to ensure that the lenses fit properly and are not damaging to the eyes, and will also provide advice on how to wear and care for them safely.
When advising patients, you can remind them of good hygiene habits as well – always wash and dry their hands before touching their eyes, avoid sleeping in their lenses or getting them wet, and never allow other people to try them on.
You can also advise them to put in their lenses before putting on any Halloween make-up, and to remove their lenses at the end of the night before taking their make-up off.
Cosmetic contact lenses can be a fun addition to any Halloween costume when patients wear them properly and get the right professional advice. But one final tip to help patients avoid getting spooked by eye damage this Halloween, recommend that they visit http://www.loveyourlenses.com/halloween for top tips on how to wear and care for their lenses.