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Eye Spy Trouble: CORU warns against dangers of novelty contact lenses

October 23, 2025

Concern over quality of lenses sold by low cost online outlets

CORU, Ireland’s health and social care regulator, has issued a warning against the use of novelty contact lenses in advance of Halloween weekend. The regulator stressed that these accessories can cause serious eye damage, or in extreme cases, permanent blindness.

With Halloween parties and trick-or-treating just around the corner, CEO of CORU, Claire O’Cleary is urging the public to think twice before popping in a pair of ‘cat’s eyes’ or ‘vampire lenses’. O’Cleary stated, “Contact lenses should only ever be worn if you have been assessed by a professional or if you have a valid prescription.  These contact lenses may look fun, but they are frighteningly dangerous.  Many people do not realise that they are putting their vision on the line.”

O’Cleary strongly warned people against purchasing these lenses online through outlets such as Temu and Shein. “Contact lenses are a medical product but when they are bought through low cost online retailers from outside the EU they are completely unregulated. This means there may have been no testing of the quality and no control over what materials were used.

“Even a short period of time wearing the poor-quality lenses can cause real harm.” she said.  “Your eyes may become red, dry, or gritty.  In some cases, people have ended up in hospital with infections that permanently damaged their sight.  It is just not worth it for one night of fancy dress.”

CORU is also calling on parents to be especially alert this Halloween period, “Children should not be wearing novelty contact lenses, under any circumstance.” O’Cleary warned.  “They are not toys, and they are definitely not safe.  Parents of teenagers or young adults should speak to their children and explain the risks.”  Teenagers, she added, are particularly drawn to social media trends and mimicking celebrity looks, often without realising that they do not see the painful consequences when something goes wrong.

CORU has also issued a strong reminder to retailers that it is a criminal offence in Ireland for unauthorised individuals to sell contact lenses. “Only CORU-registered optometrists, dispensing opticians, or doctors can prescribe or sell contact lenses legally,” O’Cleary said. 

“Anyone else doing so is breaking the law.  We have taken enforcement action in the past and will not hesitate to do so again.  The safety of the public comes first.”

Before you complete your Halloween costume with a pair of novelty lenses, remember, a cheap pair of lenses could cost you much more than the price tag.

RISKS OF NOVELTY CONTACT LENSES 

There are many risks associated with the wearing of ill-fitting, poor quality contact lenses these include: 

  1. Common Problems: Unsupervised contact lens use can lead to a range of problems, which include: red, sore, gritty eyes, dry eye, sensitivity to light, headaches, blurred vision and again in extreme cases reduction in best visual acuity.  
  2. Incorrect base curve: If the lens is too flat it can feel very uncomfortable, cause variable vision or even fall out. If it is too steep it could cause stagnation of the tears and reduce oxygen to part of your eye, this can cause redness and swelling. If it is very steep it can become very difficult to remove and increase the risk of damaging the eye upon removal. 
  3. Reduced Vision: Halloween favourites like the cat’s eyes or blackout lenses can reduce peripheral vision affecting mobility, depth perception and balance and would make driving extremely dangerous. Often the packaging contains no warning of these dangers. 
  4. Severe infections: Many people will not use appropriate solutions to moisten their lenses; sometimes they even use tap water or saliva to do this. This dramatically increases the risk of infections which can include bacterial conjunctivitis or a devastating condition called Acanthamoeba keratitis. Acanthamoeba is an organism commonly found in tap water and hot tubs. It causes an infection which can lead to permanent visual impairment or in the worst cases blindness.