Yeah, if you buy from a well-known brand and wear them VERY sparingly, it's fine.Kung Jew wrote:
Not only am I your neighborhood mod, I'm also a certified tech (A.B.O.M.)
Coloured CL's can be harmful to your eyes if you are buying cheap knock offs, bad product, or overwearing your contacts. (especially the crazy eyes kind) It's the surface of the lens that causes the damage. Alot of the crazy looks (ie. blackouts, cat eyes, spirals, fireballs, etc...) are constructed in a way that puts the color onto the surface of the lens. This "rough" surface is against your cornea/sclera. Your blinking constantly rubs off a layer of your eye/inner eyelid. Corneal abrasions = not good / very painful.
That all being said, I wear a pair of fireball, or white outs to the TX Renfest each year with my costume. I wouldn't condone wearing them as daily wear, but once a year... the risk is pretty low.
Please bear in mind, the average coloured CL (Freshlook, colorblends, etc.. ) are generally pretty safe. I found the Freshlook for astigmatism to be particularly uncomorftable for any length of time, but I have a steep eye.
Feel free to post optic Q&A to me. Marco is also particularly knowledgable in the fields of optical workings.
KJ
I still wouldn't take the risk though, as I 1) want LASIK when I'm 18 and 2) want to be a pilot/join the USAF so I need perfect vision.