What started as a bit of Halloween fun nearly turned into a nightmare for Kyle Bryant, 22, from Windsor, after a pair of cheap novelty contact lenses left him fearing for his eyesight. Kyle Bryant was getting ready to hit the tiles with pals for a night of spooky fun last year, but his innocent costume could have soon cost him his vision.
Eager to complete his ‘blood’ spattered costume, Kyle purchased a pair of horror-style lenses online for just £10, but within minutes of putting them in he felt an alarming swelling in his eyes. After around 45 minutes, Kyle felt like the lens was scratching against the front of his eyeball.
Kyle said: “People had told me to be careful with them beforehand. It was only when I took them out, I realised the contact lens was scratching my eyeball.
“It was really painful – my eye was getting bigger and bigger. I was worried it was going to affect my vision.”
Now, experts are warning others of the hidden dangers behind unregulated cosmetic contact lenses, especially as demand spikes during the Halloween season.
Experts from Specsavers claim cheap cosmetic contact lenses can scratch the surface of the eye, cut off vital oxygen, and even introduce dangerous bacteria – all of which can lead to infection and, in serious cases, blindness.
Kyle said: “It definitely has put me off wearing them, which is a shame as they actually look pretty cool.”
The damage to Kyle’s eye resulted in his eyeball appearing, and feeling, larger for a number of days, and he also experienced soreness. While it has put Kyle off buying them again, lenses are still readily available at many online or storefront retailers.
Giles Edmonds, clinical services director at Specsavers, said: “The scratching Kyle experienced suggests these lenses were likely poorly manufactured and ill-fitting.
“Contact lenses sit directly on the delicate surface of the eye, and any irregularities in the lens material or curvature can cause corneal abrasions – essentially scratches to the front of the eye.
“The swelling he described is a typical inflammatory response to this kind of trauma.”
Giles added that Kyle could have ended up with permanent vision damage and that his experience is ‘a stark warning’ about the dangers of buying cosmetic contact lenses from unregulated online sellers, particularly around Halloween.
“I cannot stress enough that people should never purchase contact lenses from unregulated online sellers, market stalls, or fancy-dress shops,” he said.
“These lenses are often manufactured without proper quality controls and sold without any regard for the wearer’s eye health or safety. Contact lenses are medical devices, not fashion accessories, and should always be fitted by a qualified professional.”