Millions of people around the world wear contact lenses. A contact lens is a thin, curved lens that is placed on the film of tears that covers the eye. It is thin enough to seem invisible to onlookers while being comfortable enough to wear without obstructing your vision.

While contact lenses are commonly worn for vision correction, there are also contact lenses that are purely for cosmetic and novelty purposes. Colour lenses can enhance or completely change the hue of your eyes, or even create some of the special effects that you see on the big screen (like Vampire eyes). However, all contact lenses – including cosmetic contact lenses – are medical devices and require a prescription.

With any contact lens, mishandling the lens can cause an infection or inflammation which might lead to vision loss or blindness. To prevent complications, follow these simple tips:

• Talk to your eye doctor if you’re thinking about contacts
• Buy contact lenses from a legitimate source
• Keep your contact lenses well cared for and clean
• Follow all the instructions around your contact lenses and lens products
• Stick to your wear and replacement schedule

To keep your eyes and vision in peak performance and health; each pair of contact lenses is manufactured and prescribed for a particular wear schedule, and to be replaced after a defined period. Daily disposable contact lenses are worn throughout the day then tossed before bed and replaced by a fresh pair in the morning. Other lenses have different replacement schedules.