Why Eye Safety Should Be on Your Halloween Checklist?

It is that time of the year again when we start planning our witch perfect Howl-oween look, everything from costume and makeup to props. But do you know that some of these picks may carry hidden hazards for your eye health? Let us learn about these potential eye health risks and optician-recommended steps to keep Halloween spook-tacular, fun and safe. After all, your boo-tiful costume should not compromise on your vision in any way.

How can Halloween turn into a safety disaster for your eyes?

Halloween sure is filled with fun, but it can quickly turn into a nightmare for your eyes when you’re not being mindful of:

• Masks or costumes blocking or limiting the vision, increasing the risk of falling or colliding.
• Poor quality or ill-fitting cosmetic lenses, causing corneal abrasions and infections.
• Makeup, glitter or adhesives getting into the eye and irritating the ocular surface.
• Props, decorations or costume pieces with sharp edges or hazardous shapes.
• Poor ambient lighting and low visibility during trick-or-treating.

Optician-recommended guidelines for a safe and fun Halloween

If you want to have unobstructed fun and scare away the potential risks to your vision health this Halloween, here are some easy-to-follow, optician-recommended tips:

1. Say ‘yes’ to frightening get-ups, but ‘no’ to negligence

• Masks and eye patches: Masks, eye patches and hoods can help achieve a chilling look instantly but may hinder your comfort by blocking your peripheral vision and impairing your eyes’ depth perception and balance. So, it’s best to avoid these eye props. However, if you feel that you definitely need them, you can go smart and use face paint or wigs for similar effects and an unrestricted field of vision. If you’re going for a mask, ensure that it has large enough eye holes positioned properly to your eyes. For an eye patch, ensure that it snugly fits around your eyes, especially if you are planning to wear your glasses underneath.
• Sharp props: Thinking of dressing up as a ghostly skeleton warrior with an axe? Be mindful. Sharp, rigid and pointed props like wands, swords or spears can be dangerous. Consider replacing them with custom-made props crafted from soft materials like foam or bendable plastic.

2. A high-scream scare deserves low-trouble coloured contact lenses

Coloured lenses are a great way to add spook to your Halloween look. Whether you’re after prescription or zero power lenses, make sure you’re getting them from a renowned brand. Contact lenses sit directly on your eyes and misuse can lead to eye infections. You can use the below mentioned points as a checklist when looking for Halloween lenses:

• Quality: The best way to ensure buying high-quality Halloween-themed lenses is to avoid unauthorised sellers and shop only through trusted sources such as Feel Good Contacts.
• Lens hygiene: By following optimum lens hygiene (like wearing lenses carefully, taking lenses out with precaution, cleaning and storing lenses properly and not sleeping in lenses), the risk of infections can be minimised.
• Lens fit: Ensure that the lens is properly fitted and centred on your cornea as even a slight misfit can irritate it. It is recommended to always go for a fitting appointment before getting your lenses.
• Be vigilant: While wearing lenses, monitor your eyes for signs such as redness, pain, blurred vision, light sensitivity and excess tearing. If you notice any of these symptoms, remove the contact lenses immediately and visit your optician for further guidance on eye care.

3. Make sure your makeup doesn’t ghost you for value

• Ensure quality: To avoid any irritation or infection, you must use hypoallergenic (excludes common allergens) and ophthalmologist-tested makeup products near the eyes.
• Patch test: Before applying any makeup product directly on your face, you can do a quick patch test by applying it behind the ear or on inner forearm to ensure it does not cause irritation.
• Avoid direct application: For eye makeup like eyeliner, mascara, fake lashes, eyelash glue and eyeshadows, avoid direct application on the waterline or inner lid. This will efficiently help minimise the risk of potential infections.
• Careful with glitter: Using craft glitter or loose glitter near or on the eyes can scratch the cornea or lodge in the front surface of the eye when the particles flake off. If necessary, ensure to use cosmetic-grade, gel-based glitters, and remove them as soon as they start to smudge.
• No sharing: Sharing makeup or applicators like brushes, sponges, mascaras and eyeliners with others can transmit bacteria or viruses, causing eye infections and discomfort.

Wearing inferior quality or ill-fitting lenses to complete your Halloween look could be the biggest threat to your eye safety as they encounter your eyes directly and most intricately. To avoid serious harm, it is best to buy cosmetic lenses from reliable sources and brands and use them under your optician’s advice.

Your eyes are precious, and for Halloween, it is imperative to plan your costume, makeup and props carefully so that the fun does not come at a painful cost. By combining vigilance and safer alternatives, you can strike the perfect balance between creative flair and eye safety.