For a quick change in your appearance, not much is simpler than wearing cosmetic contacts. Cosmetic contact lenses are designed to change the appearance of your eyes and can come without vision correction. So if you'd like to add a little extra color to your eyes or get a new color, cosmetic contacts can do it for you.

Just as there are a variety of facial cosmetics for different situations, so too are there a variety of cosmetic contacts. The simplest type of lens is an enhancement lens which is designed to complement your natural eye color. The lens contains a thin layer of dye which deepens your eye color without affecting what you see.

Cosmetic contacts can also change the appearance of your eye color. To do this the tinting dye is non-transparent and when it covers your iris, only the color of the tint shows. To leave your sight unobstructed, the center portion of the lens is left clear. And to achieve the most realistic effect, some opaque contacts have multiple layers and colors of dye to recreate the look of an iris.

Most cosmetic contacts are made to look natural, but some aren't and they vary in their effects. The most extreme type of effect is produced by special effect or novelty contacts. With their other-worldly look, they're commonly used for Halloween and costume parties. Less dramatic are lenses which can add extra shine or sparkle to your eyes.

Cosmetic contacts are most often soft lenses and have styles for daily use or overnight wear. In addition to having correction for nearsightedness or farsightedness, some can also correct for astigmatism or they can come with no correction at all.

But because cosmetic contacts are available without vision correction, it's good to remember that they're still to be treated like other contact lenses. They require a prescription and need to be kept clean. And when you have your eye exam it's good time to discuss their use with your eyecare provider.