Halloween Costume Contact Lenses Turn Teen Partially Blind

It's never worth the risk.
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A Michigan teen just found out firsthand why you need to be careful when choosing your Halloween costume this year. WXYZ.com reports that 17-year-old Leah Carpenter decided to dress up as a zombie this year, but didn't consult a doctor before gathering the elements for her costume, one of which was contact lenses. After wearing her costume with her powder puff team, Leah woke up the next morning to discover that her eye had swollen and turned red.

Leah reportedly bought the lenses from vendor Body Jewelry & More and the sellers claimed that the contacts were FDA-approved. Unfortunately, one of the contacts ripped out the top layer of Leah's cornea, resulting in her going partially blind in one eye. Since then, she has been going to the ophthalmologist every day, and might need surgery to recover the vision in her eye.

This isn't the first time stories have surfaced about unsafe costume lenses causing injuries or infections around Halloween. And as tempted as you might be to upgrade your Pennywise makeup with a creepy stare, always remember to do your due diligence before putting anything in your eyes.

“Eye health is a big concern this time of year due to the use of costume lenses, which can cause serious eye health problems and even permanent damage,” says LensCrafters’ Dr. Mark Jacquot. “Our eyes are an extremely delicate part of our bodies, so they are particularly susceptible to infections and irritation. It’s important to wear costume lenses with the same care that you would with regular lenses." This means consulting a doctor before you pick up colored lenses, getting properly fitted, and only wearing prescribed contacts. Whether you're dressing up as a zombie, creepy clown, or giraffe this year, it's just not worth the risk of damaging your vision for good.

Related: If You Don't Want to Buy a Costume, Try These Halloween Makeup Tutorials