Colored contacts are becoming more and more popular as fashion accessories to change the way a person looks from one day to the next. With so many celebrities like Lady Gaga, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears wearing them, it is hardly surprising that even those who don’t need to wear contact lenses for vision correction want to get a pair of color contacts.
People with perfect eyesight wrongly assume, however, that if they don’t need eye glasses or lenses to see better, then they don’t need a prescription to order cheap colored contacts online. This article looks at what without prescription really means so that those wishing to wear colored contacts can make an informed decision.
Non Prescription Colored Contacts
Colored contact lenses can be worn by anyone, whether they need vision correction or not. So called plano lenses are those that do not correct eyesight as they have zero dioptric power and these zero strength lenses are often referred to as no prescription.
People who do need to wear contacts or glasses to improve their eyesight must get their eyes tested and obtain a prescription from their optician if they want to buy cheap lenses online. Patients have to give details of their eye prescription in order to order the correct lenses and, while some retailers require confirmation of that prescription from an optician, if the doctor does not respond within 8 hours, as he/she is legally bound to do in line with the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act, effective in the US since February 2004, the retailer can accept the order without prescription.
Why Contact Lens Wearers Need to Visit an Optician Before Buying Online
Regardless of whether an actual prescription is required for vision correction or not, anyone wishing to wear colored crazy or eye enhancing contacts should first visit an eye doctor in order to have the lenses fitted.
A good example as to why lenses need to be fitted can be seen by looking at two of the most popular brands of colored lenses. Freshlook Colors are available with a base curve of 8.6 and a diameter of 14.5 (see how to read a lens prescription for an explanation below) whereas Acuvue Colours come with variable base curves of either 8.7 or 8.3 and a diameter of 14.0.
If the wearer has not visited an optician to check their suitability for lenses and to have them fitted in advance, then they will not know which size to order.
How to Read a Contact Lens Prescription
A basic contact lens prescription will show the following:
- Power for each eye expressed as either a plus (long sight) or minus (short sight).
- Base curve (BC), usually a number between 8.0 and 9.5.
- Diameter (Dia), usually a number between 14.0 and 14.5.
People with astigmatism have additional numbers to note such as the cylinder (Cyl) and axis and, to complicate matters further, no two brands fit the same. It is clear, therefore, that even people wishing to wear plano color contacts with no prescription, need to visit a doctor first in order to purchase the correct size and get advice on the best brand for the shape of their eyes.
Buy Colored Contact Lenses Online
With an eye prescription denoting the correct size and, for those with impaired vision, the correct power, buyers can shop around online to look for the best deals on colored contacts without prescription. Discounts of up to 70% can be obtained when buying contacts in bulk from reputable optical retailers like AC Lens; just be sure to get those eyes checked first.
Related Articles:
Also of interest may be
- Different Types of Contact Lenses
- Buy Discount Contact Lenses Online to Save Money
- Cosmetic Contact Lenses for Special Occasions like Halloween
Sources:
- AC Lens.com
Helen Smeaton - Helen Smeaton runs a cycling and hiking business and is also a freelance writer and web designer. Read her profile for more information
Join the Conversation