As October rolls around and the colors start to peek on the Wasatch Front, Utah County residents’ fancy turns to Halloween, Trick (or Trunk)-or-Treat, and costumes. Let’s be blunt, Utahns love to dress up, especially when it involves collecting candy, right? As such, there are a few safety guidelines that should be addressed, especially regarding eye health and novelty contact lenses. At Utah Valley Eye, leading provider of LASIK in Provo, we care about your eye health.

Eye health and Halloween – don’t you mean dental health from all the treats?

I mean, you can’t even come close to pulling off a good Darth Maul without a complete interpretation for that neighborhood costume contest, and you won’t be wearing the lenses for very long, so no big deal, right? Sorry, Sith Apprentice – it is risky to buy a cheap pair of novelty contact lenses from any Tom, Dick, or Harry that you find online.

Cool costume accessories exist out there, right?

Contact lenses are frequently used in theatrical productions (you didn’t think that those were really Darth Maul’s 24/7 eyes did you), giving performers an added authenticity to their performances of characters. Whether these lenses are plano (without corrective prescription) or not, contact lenses are considered – rightly so, medical devices by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, so they need to be prescribed and properly fitted by an eye professional, rather than picked up online or in a costume shop.

Other cautions for ghouls and goblins

Unlike the hard plastic masks we had several decades ago, masks are much safer today. Be cautious using make-up too close to your eyes. Despite being marketed as completely safe, these can cause irritation or even infection. Never use the same make up on your eyes that was used by someone else. Don‘t keep these products past one Halloween season since bacteria can grow during all of those long months between one All Hollow’s Eve and the next.

Of course, if you are worried about your family’s waistline or cavities, we are always looking for donations of unwanted candy. While you are sharing the wealth, please ask about our regular specials on a Provo LASIK surgery.