Getting Used to New Glasses: What’s Normal in the First Two Weeks and When to Come Back
13 October 2026
07:18
Every year in the first week of November, somebody comes in with a red, painful eye and a story that starts at a Halloween party. The lenses were cheap, they came from a market stall or a website, and they looked brilliant in the photos.
I have nothing against the look. Cat eyes, white-outs and blood-red irises are a big part of the fun. What worries me is how these lenses are bought and worn, because a contact lens is a medical device sitting on the surface of your eye, whether it corrects your vision or not.
Fancy-dress lenses usually have no power in them. They are often called plano or zero-powered lenses, and people assume that because they are not correcting anything, they are just a costume accessory. Your eye does not see it that way.
The British Contact Lens Association lists the problems linked to cosmetic lenses, and they range from the uncomfortable to the serious.
Infection is rare when lenses are fitted properly and looked after. The risk rises sharply with the things that tend to happen at Halloween: lenses bought without a fitting, worn for too long, slept in, shared, or rinsed under the tap.
If you want the look this year, this is how to have it without ending up in an emergency appointment.
Take the lens out, keep it and the case, and ring us that day. Do not put another lens in to see if it settles. If we are closed, NHS 24 on 111 will tell you where to go. I have written more about these warning signs in red eye: when to see your optician and in our guide to emergency eye care in Glasgow.
Coloured lenses can be made with your prescription in them, so you do not have to choose between seeing and the costume. They need a fitting and a specification like any other lens, so book a couple of weeks ahead. The everyday options are explained in contact lenses in Glasgow: daily, monthly or Ortho-K, and if your normal lenses already give you trouble, read how to stop blurry vision while wearing contact lenses first.
Teenagers are the group most likely to buy lenses online and least likely to mention it. If yours wants coloured lenses for Halloween, bring them in for a fitting, and make sure they know to take them out the moment they hurt. Someone who has never worn lenses should not be learning on the night of the party. Our children’s eyecare page covers younger eyes more generally.
Glitter, face paint and false lashes cause their share of problems at this time of year too. Keep glitter well away from the lash line, use products made for use around the eyes, and take everything off before bed. If your eyelids are red and crusty afterwards, that is often blepharitis, which I have explained in what is blepharitis.
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They can be worn safely if they are fitted by an eye care professional, handled hygienically and worn for short periods. The risks, including scratches, infection and corneal ulcers, are much higher when lenses are bought without a fitting, worn for too long, slept in, shared or rinsed with tap water.
Under the Opticians Act 1989, zero-powered cosmetic contact lenses can only be sold by, or under the supervision of, a registered optometrist, dispensing optician or doctor. Selling them without that supervision is illegal, whether from a market stall, a fancy-dress shop or a website.
Yes. Coloured and effect lenses can be made with a prescription. They need a contact lens fitting so the lens sits correctly, and you should allow time for them to be ordered before the date you need them.
Take the lens out straight away and do not put another one in. If the pain, redness or blurred vision does not settle quickly, contact an optometrist the same day, or NHS 24 on 111 out of hours. Keep the lens and case, as they can help identify the cause.
A minor scratch to the surface of the eye usually feels much better within one to two days. If pain, redness or sensitivity to light get worse, or vision does not return to normal, the eye should be examined again, as infection or a deeper injury may need treatment.
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