Prescription Versus non-prescription-colored-contacts
This is important information on non-prescription-colored-contacts that everyone should know before you order contact lenses.
Due to an FDA law passed, all lenses, even plano lenses, are considered medical devices and require a prescription to be worn. You won’t get in trouble for buying them without a prescription, but the laws are in place for a good reason. It's a sort of buyer beware.
I’ve run across many websites that sell non-prescription-colored-contacts claiming that they don’t need a prescription because they are plano/cosmetic lenses. This is WRONG.
If your eye is shaped differently than the contact they are selling serious problems can arise that’ll make you wonder if the cheap price and little hassle was really worth it. These 'black market contact lenses' can seriously mess up your eyes; 'seriously' just doesn't seem to work right in what they can do, so let me elaborate on what this means!
For instance, wearing non-prescription-colored-contacts without knowing their dimensions can cause corneal abrasions and ulcers, which (if left untreated) will lead to infection, which can potentially cause permanent blindness. It's happened before, and can happen again! This is mostly due to an incorrect fit, type of contact, or bad lens hygiene. Don't let it happen to you!
Also, just because they aren’t prescription lenses doesn’t mean that you don’t have to care for them properly. You must NEVER wear someone else’s Gothic contact lenses or allow them to wear yours! This will spread bacteria that will cause severe problems (such as the aforementioned eye infection), and you must always care for them like a prescription lens (keep ‘em in the case, change out the fluid, all that fun stuff).
So, with that in mind, before you buy Gothic contact lenses it is a very good idea to get a prescription first. A visit to an optometrist, one appointment, and a payment later, you’ll know the details of your eyes and what you can and cannot wear. This is vital information; since the safety of your eyes is more important than saving a few bucks in the long run.
When you have a prescription you can look at what diameter and base curve you need as a starting point for your shopping. These are the two important measurements. The third one is the power of the lens, and this is for correcting vision only.
In plano lenses the power might be 0 since they are not corrective. However, there are some Gothic contact lenses that also double as prescriptive lenses for barely a change in price. You should know the exact brand of contacts you need before you buy because substituting one brand for another can cause the aforementioned side effects.
If you were prescribed Acuvue then it wouldn't be a good idea to buy from CooperVision or any other brand. Ask your optometrist about which brands you can and cannot wear; and follow their advice to the letter. There are some brands you will be able to wear as well as the one you were prescribed, and there will be some that you cannot.
Now that I have you completely paranoid about ordering contact lenses from an online store, have fun! Just ask your optometrist about theatrical and plano lenses for the full run-down on them. They might tell you otherwise, or say exactly what I did. Regardless, just listen to their advice completely.
Non-prescription-colored-contacts top of page
Back to Gothic contact lenses