BEAUTIFUL BROWN EYES! OR IS IT BLUE?

The words of the old song “Beautiful Brown Eyes” take on a different meaning when one wonders if those beautiful eyes are really brown, or if the colour is the result of coloured contact lenses, which allow us to change our eye colour, creating a look that's subtle, bold or anywhere in between.

To trace the history of coloured contact lenses, one needs to look at the history of contact lenses in general. Though contact lenses are thought to be a fairly recent phenomenon, the earliest sketches of the concept of contact lenses were made by Leonardo Da Vinci in the 16th century. It was only years later, in 1887, that a German glassblower developed an eye covering that could be worn bearably. Around the same time, a lens was developed that was wearable, but it was large and unwieldy and could not be worn for long periods.

During the second half of the 20th century, various contact lenses were developed in different countries. Although being worn by patients, there were disadvantages such as the size and weight of the lenses, discomfort when worn for long periods, and the problem that they did not allow oxygen to get through to the cornea. As technology advanced, the most important development was that of hydrogel soft contact lenses, and perhaps one of the most exciting was the advent of coloured contact lenses.

Today, a wide variety of coloured contact lenses is available, in either prescription forms which correct visual problems, or plano (no prescription) which are worn purely for cosmetic reasons. Whatever the original eye colour, each colour has its own depth and beauty, and the existence of coloured lenses makes it possible for us to experiment with all of them.

Types of Colour Contact Lenses

Most coloured contact lenses are designed to appear as natural as the coloured part of the eye, the iris. Since the iris is made up of colourful shapes and lines, some colour contact lenses feature a series of tiny coloured dots, lines and shapes to help the lenses look more realistic. The centre of the lens, the part that lies over the pupil, is clear.

Colour contact lenses come in three kinds of tints, visibility, enhancement and opaque.

A visibility tint is usually is a light blue or green tint added to a contact lens, just to help you see it better during insertion and removal, or if you drop it. Because this is very light, it does not affect eye colour.

An enhancement tint is a solid see-through tint that is a little darker than a visibility tint, and may cover the entire lens or just the outer edge of the iris. It is meant to enhance, but not change, the natural colour of your eyes. It is usually most suitable for people who want to intensify their eye colour.

An opaque tint is a non-transparent tint that can change your eye colour completely. Colour contact lenses with opaque tints come in a wide variety of colours, including hazel, green, blue, violet, amethyst, brown and gray. Opaque tints are also used for novelty or theatrical contact lenses, and have been used in movies for decades.

For an individualised look, some contact lens manufacturers will create a custom colour tint that is uniquely you! Some custom tints are designed to hide an eye injury or defect. Certain sportsmen are choosing custom-tinted contact lenses to enhance their sporting performance by reducing glare and increasing contrast and depth perception.

When choosing your coloured contact lenses, be aware of your hair colour, skin tone and natural eye colour, and the effect you wish to achieve – subtle or dramatic! Surveys have shown that green is the colour most often chosen, followed by blue.

Coloured Contact Lenses vs. Regular Contact Lenses

It is essential that your coloured contact lenses, like regular lenses, are fitted by an optometrist, ensuring that they are comfortable, safe and look natural. This applies even to plano lenses which are intended for cosmetic or novelty use.

Occasionally, the coloured portion of the lens may slide over the pupil a bit, especially with blinking, creating an unnatural appearance.

Because the pupil is constantly changing size to accommodate different light conditions, it may sometimes be larger than the clear centre of the lens, affecting vision slightly.

Coloured contact lenses require the same hygienic care as regular lenses.

As with regular lenses, never share coloured lenses with friends because you may be sharing and transmitting bacteria or infections.

Just like regular contact lenses, colour contacts are not bad for your eyes if you follow the instructions of your optometrist, regarding how long you can wear them and when they should be replaced.

Don’t wear your contact lenses if your eyes are red, sore or irritated.