They say dress for the job you want, not the job you have. This seems like truly sound advice until you sit at your desk dressed as Wonder Woman, arrive in court dressed as Batman, or stand in front of your class dressed as a stormtrooper.
You’ve chosen an excellent life, but once in a while, it’s a lot of fun to try on a new one! This Halloween, millions of Americans young and old will try on a new identity for a while. It’s a fun escape, and an excellent exercise for our creativity! As you know, ilumin cares about your fun and your safety in equal measure! We’ve put together a quick list of Eye-deas to keep your sight safe and your holiday hospital visit free!
Eye Contact
When you think of the most fun, spooky, or dramatic characters you may want to emulate this year, will it require you to wear colored contacts? Be very weary of companies who allow you to buy contacts sight unseen, as it were. To be safe, contacts need to be properly fitted and approved.
The contacts you see in movies, creating anything from a scintillating purple gaze to a creepy milky glare are actually really expensive, uncomfortable, and worn under the supervision of an on-set doctor who monitors the actors during the scenes when the contacts are in use. Most studios edit in eye effects to protect the vision of their crew.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, the Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists and the American Optometric Association are all in agreement (Seriously, it’s not easy to get this many syllables to agree on anything at all!) that cosmetic lenses can be a hazard to your vision.
If you have a question about the safety of the lenses you’re considering, please call us. We’d rather give you pointers on how to wear them safely than have you show up with a scratched cornea or a weeping infection. That’s right. Weeping. Think about it and decide if two hours of looking scary is worth looking… really scary, for weeks!
All That Glitters is Not a Good Idea
There’s only one thing more dramatic than glitter… and that’s a scratched, infected cornea. Glitter is a top offender in the eye injury business! Be especially cautious when applying glitter to children. Not only is it messy, but children cannot help but touch their faces. As the long spooky evening turns to a dark and sleepy night, those little glitter covered goblins will be rubbing their tired eyes, and you’ll be searching your cupboards for a suitable eye flushing kit while your little monster sobs.
Their sweet personalities are sparkly enough! It might be best to skip the glitter.
Fake Lashes, Real Issues
False lashes are used every day by millions without issue, but they are used once in a blue moon by some, and with that comes a bit more risk. That is to say, if you’re unfamiliar with false lashes, you’re more prone to injury, allergic reaction, or sensitivity to the lashes or adhesive. If you plan to wear false lashes for Halloween, give it a try before the big day. Practice when you’re calm and have plenty of time to avoid poking or scratching the eye.
Additionally, it’s VERY important to remove lashes and all adhesive residue before going to sleep. Sleeping with this glue on your eyes can cause abrasions and infection. Additionally, it can cause injury to the lash follicle, which will cause your natural lashes to fall out. Eyelashes serve an important purpose, keeping debris out of the eye, and you want to keep those lashes in place!
Be sure to use an approved adhesive. Cheap is not the way to go here! High quality, safe glue, applied patiently it the answer. Safe is the new sexy!
Use a gentle makeup remover before bed to remove all adhesive residue, then rinse with water.
Scary Sights, or None at All
Masks are a fun addition to any costume, but before heading out for the night, try it on around the house for a while. Walk around and be sure you can see, that your periphery is not impaired, and that you are able to fully open and close your eyes behind the mask.
Many Halloween injuries occur when children are unable to see fully out of the eye holes of their mask and trip or crash. Even more frightening is the idea that your child would be unaware of oncoming traffic. It isn’t a matter of them being careless, they simply cannot see.
Try using flash cards to test your child’s vision while they are wearing their mask to determine just how obstructed their view is. Consider widening the eye holes until their vision become clear. If this ruins the esthetic of the costume, try using face paint or makeup to enhance the area around the eyes without the risk of obstructing their view.
We don’t want to sound overbearing, but your eyes mean the world to us!
If you have tips to keep your treats and tricks safe this season, let us know! We love passing on useful information to our readers! We hope you have a fun and safe Halloween, and we can’t wait to see your creepy cool photos on Facebook!
