A $26 contact lens purchased for a Halloween party almost caused a 17-year-old student from Michigan her vision. Leah Carpenter of St. Clair Shores bought the pair of "WickedEyez" at the public weekend market in Gibraltar Trade Center in Mount Clemens.
Several hours after she wore the contact lens at a school Halloween event, Leah noticed something wrong with her vision. To worsen the situation she could not take out the contact lens, which is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, that by morning, her right eye was swollen shut, reports Science World.
In an advisory, the FDA says that stores which advertise contact lenses as cosmetics or sell these items without prescription are violating the law. It urged consumers to buy the lenses only from an eye doctor because a poor fit could cause serious eye injuries such as scratches on the cornea.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, chlorine or iron were found in some types of non-prescription contact lenses used during Halloween. The chemicals possible come from colorants used to tint and make playful patterns on the lenses.
While the teen initially only saw shadows, she has regained some of her vision, Leah may still need to undergo eye surgery as a result of the incident, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Dr. Thomas Steinemann, professor of ophthalmology at MetroHealth Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University, called the incident tragic. He warns, "I understand how tempting it is to dress up your eyes on Halloween without a prescription and using over-the-counter lenses, but people should not let one night of fun ruin their vision for a lifetime."
While makeup alone could create zombie eyes effect, as the tutorial below shows, the FDA has also warned about the use of face paints, especially those from China which could contain toxic materials.