Colored Contacts: More Than a Pretty Eye
Colored contact lenses are used for more than what typically comes to mind—special movie effects and eye color enhancement. They can also be used therapeutically to alter vision or prosthetically to mask ocular disfigurements. Sometimes, a patient has a multitude of ocular issues requiring both therapeutic and prosthetic care. Myriad ocular conditions stand to benefit from colored contact lenses. This article helps eye care practitioners select and manage the proper contact lens for various clinical uses.To get more news about
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First made commercially and widely available in the 1980s, colored contact lenses have evolved to satisfy the fashion-forward patient’s desire for cosmetic change and improvement. Currently, these lenses are made in both HEMA and silicone hydrogel (SiHy) materials. Three main types of colored contact lenses can be used cosmetically, therapeutically or prosthetically for different ocular conditions (Table 1):To get more news about
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Transparent-tinted contact lenses. These lenses are fit to alter a patient’s perception, especially in the case of sports (e.g., green tints can make a tennis ball appear darker, yellow tints can enhance the incoming image of a baseball, blue or violet tints can minimize glare for snowboarders), photophobia and color blindness. They can decrease stray light affecting the cornea, iris, lens and retina, effectively limiting ocular glare.1
This option has a uniform iris color with varying pupil sizes. The transparent tint overlaps the natural iris background, causing the iris to change in color and offering a more natural look. The iris background can be seen through contact lenses with lighter tints. Darker tints, such as a dark brown, may mask some corneal or iris irregularities, though not as effectively as computer-generated opaque and hand-painted custom contact lenses.
Full iris occlusion is not easily obtainable and, for light-colored irides that require a prosthetic lens, it may be hard to match the color of the eye with the lens. It is also difficult to obtain complete pupil occlusion if the black pigment is not dense enough. Again, computer-generated or hand-painted contact lenses may be more effective.
Clear, translucent-tinted and black pupils are available in a variety of pupil sizes, but there is a low degree of customization; iris and corneal details—such as pupillary ruffs and corneal arcus—are not available.
These lenses are easily reproducible and, thus, comparatively inexpensive relative to custom lenses. They are made of HEMA material, as the low water content of SiHy lenses does not allow them to tint well.2 Due to limited color and pupil options, less chair time is required compared with custom, hand-painted lenses. While diagnostic sets are available from certain manufacturers, others can tint lenses already prescribed to the patient or provide consulting assistance for empirical fits.
Computer-generated opaque contact lenses. While transparent-tinted lenses have a uniform iris color, these opaque contact lenses have a variety of computer-generated patterns, colors and pupil sizes layered onto the lens to increase the availability of options that range from a natural, subtle look to a bolder statement. Some manufacturers offer the option to add a black, white or clear iris backing. Black or white options offer full iris occlusion to mask most iris irregularities, while clear backings allow some of the natural iris details to be seen through the lens. The color of the backing can influence the perceived iris detail and color on the front of the lens, which needs to be taken into consideration when color-matching. For some patients with darker irides, a black color can provide complete iris occlusion and be a suitable cosmetic match to their eye. Some manufacturers offer subtle enhancement options regarding iris details, pupillary frills and limbal rings.
