Introduction: Why Change?
Well, it is common knowledge that we humans always want what we don't have. Perhaps your motives are different than mine -- I just think my pseudo hazel eyes are boring. Mine are greenish-brown and they change a lot. Although, I WISH I had very light blue eyes or even very light gray eyes. I guess until they can change your eye color with an injection or DNA re-programming I guess colored contacts will have to do!

Paris Hilton even wears blue contacts, her eyes are natural blue. I often wonder if she has custom contacts because they look very believable. However, I have seen a few shots of he that I could see the brown around the iris. Dead giveaway!

Which Color Is Right For Me?
First, I suggest clicking this link to open the Color Chart. This may take a bit to load due to the amount of images so I designed it to open in a separate window so that you may continue reading and have the option of reflecting back on the newly opened page of available colors.

There are many color choices available. From natural looking colors to not-so-natural choices like a cat's eye or the zombie look. If you are worried about appearing natural then choose a color that complements your skin tone or may resemble your natural eye color. You may go for the typical blonde hair blue/eye schematic or the red hair/green eye combo or even the more exotic black hair/jade green eye look. The choice is yours.

If you are not so worried about blending in, attracting attention or otherwise creating a ruckus... feel free to experiment! Do you know I once used a pale blue contact in one eye (like Marilyn Manson, but waaaay before he got popular)? Ahhhh, the mind of a youth. How lame.

Anyway, be what you want to be, if you live your whole life listening to others you are never going to have any fun whatsoever. Experiment a little. I mean they are only contacts. It's like changing a shirt -- less damaging than dying your hair.

Brands & Options
There used to be only a few companies but now there re many as well as options -- even if you have a very strong prescription you can still get colored contacts. I have astigmatism and have Wesley Jensen Toric FreshLook Opaque Tints, for dark eyes, (a toric lens an overly-expensive lens capable of temporarily "molding" the front of the eye so that you are able to see) in green.

This is not me, I think these colors always come out so much better on computer enhanced people, don't you?? It looks pretty good for fake green eyes. It would look better were I to have light colored eyes. When you have dark eyes the color differences show up less in the first generation lenses. The second gen contacts are much better and have several dot matrix or other types of color variations for a more natural effect. The brand differences are really the available colors and prescriptions for that particular model -- they are all really made of the same thing. The choice is about color and longevity as well as dailies, disposable, etc. So, I guess when it comes down to it there is more to making a choice than at first glance.

For instance, do you want to take them in and out every day? Do you want to plop them in for a few weeks and then switch to a new fresh pair? Do you have significant tears to lubricate your eyes? Do your eyes get irritated easily? All these things are a factor in your lens choice. Please see a qualified optometrist who can examine your eyes, measure them, determine your eye pressures, etc. and then and only then can you be assigned a prescription for contacts. But, before all this you can try on the sample lenses available at the optometrist's office. Some doctors may not carry certain brands or colors. It's kind of like serving either Coca-Cola or Pepsi products in a franchise or corporate restaurant -- you have to choose one. But some websites, however, carry ALL OF THEM!! See below for more information.

The brand names are definitely worth sticking to for both comfort and safety. Which is which and what is each known for? Well, read below to get an overview of what each company has to offer:

Trying Them On For Size
Like I said below you can choose to try on different colors at say mall optometry offices as well as some doctor's offices without making a specific appointment. You don't necessarily have to buy your lenses at the office where you receive your exam either. Don't be tricked into it. You are not under obligation to buy your lenses there -- after all you did have to pay for an exam and eye pressure test -- they are lucky they got that! You can be given your prescription and you may buy your brand, color, etc of choice from a website for much less.

If you don't need a prescription they make these as well; non-prescript. Colored lenses are pretty inexpensive. Just go one weekend, a less crowded weekday is best, and tell the lady (or gentleman for that matter) at the counter in one of these shopping center or strip mall optometry stores that you are interested in colored contacts. Make sure they clean them well -- you may even choose to wash them off yourself with solution before placing them in your eyes. It may take you a bit to get used to placing them in the eye but you will be instructed how to do if need be. And if you just can't seem to get the hang of it -- they will do it for you.

Product Value & Cost
Most of the widely know brands such as Wesley Jensen, DuraSoft, CibaSoft, etc. are all about the same -- the colors may be different and more natural looking in some and for this you will pay extra. And then there are the cheaper yet much desired, special effect lenses. Personally I wouldn't go out of my way for a pair -- but many teens and younger individuals like them. Not to mention around times such as Halloween (a MAJOR special effect contact sale period), New Year's, St. Patrick's Day and Mardi Gras, etc.) sales go through the roof! Oh and there are also custom special effects contacts you can order for a pretty penny. Full coverage lenses, double iris, bloody eye, cataract look, all kinds -- they are amazing. The special effect lenses are made to be worn for about 4 to no more than 6 hours. Period.

The costs vary from $75. to $500. Mine are about $220. for a year. They are called dailies. T hey last with every day use about 365 days. With dailies, you will notice a certain wear and tear -- they tend to irritate more, seem cloudy or just plain fit funny towards their end. Although, a year is a pretty long time to last if I don't wear them often they have lasted me for 2 years. Or you can get the extended wear that you can wear for 2 weeks and throw them away for about $75. for 5 pairs. Incidentally, you can get clear contacts at about $32. per 5 pairs that last 2 weeks per pair (no-Toric). I have been told by many individuals that they wear their contacts (the 2 week extended wear) anywhere from a month to 6 months. I was also advised that they can finally tell the contacts are "at their end" when their eyes are dried out regardless of the amount of drops they use and feel firm and hard. Ick! Don't risk your eyes.

Ask around and then research online -- you'd be amazed at how they overcharge. Okay fine, pay the $75 for the exam and pressure test and if you really want to buy your first pair from them so you KNOW they work, then do so. I did. But, now I have my prescription I know what works for me and I can order them online, different colors if I so choose. But be aware, your eyes change and so will your prescription. Be sure that you are up to date on your eye pressures for the possibility of glaucoma:

Pronunciation: glau-'kO-m&, glo-
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin, cataract, from Greek glaukOma, from glaukoun to have a cataract, from glaukos circa: 1885
: a disease of the eye marked by increased pressure within the eyeball that can result in damage to the optic disk and gradual loss of vision.

Ordering Information: From a Doctor or the Internet?
Basically, you can go get your optical exam, try on the contacts to determine your desired color, pay him for his time, get your prescription and go home and log on to browse for the best price. That's it! Unless you want to pay the high mark-up on contacts, be my guest. Any don't let the eye doctors give you a hard time. Your prescription is YOUR property, not theirs. The eye docs just want you to buy your contacts from them! I suggest these sites for their selection, prices and customer service.

Lenses By Mail has more than contacts -- they have designer sunglasses, prescription designer glasses, supplies and more!

You are a patient and you are entitled to your medical record. A visitor had problems getting her prescription from an ophthalmologist in New Mexico, he said that if you live in New Mexico you cannot have lenses shipped to you -- the stickler of sticklers and guess what! He was just trying to keep her business. The contact company was able to ship anywhere if the prescription was given. Just another example of how businesses will lie to get your business.

Maintenance & Upkeep
Remember, it is very possible to suddenly need a prescription change, hey, it happens. In this case, you may notice blurred vision, a change in comfort or a decrease in the way the contact fits or "clings" to the eye. I personally have Toric lenses because I have astigmatism, therefore my contacts are bank and my cornea is flatter than most people's. No biggie, just more money and eventually I will get LASIK anyway (and STILL wear colored contacts if I am allowed). Just stay up to date and listen to your body.

Anyway, just pay another expensive visit to the optometrist and get re-examined and CHECK YOUR PRESSURES! Seriously. You never know but you should not cancel out any possible causes. Some times, change in vision can be a direct result of a more serious underlying problem.

Taking care of them is quite another matter and thankfully today it is much easier. All you basically need is a saline solution to rinse, wash and soak and a place to store them. There used to be porcine (pig-derived) enzymatic "baths" and milky looking liquid soaps for cleaning but now you can pretty much rub them gently with an all in one solution. Hooray! for Medical Science!

In Conclusion...
In general you should obey your optometrist's warnings for full-coverage contacts These special effect contacts cover your entire front of the eyeball, pupil, iris, sclera -- all of it. These should not be worn for more than 4 hours at a time, even the other special effect ones shouldn't be worn for longer than that. You are safe to wear your prescription brands for several hours without worry, and even some for weeks on end until you pop in a fresh new pair.

Go with what you want, don't be afraid to look the way you desire. But, please don't stress or mistreat your eyes in anyway. You get one pair of those, and until we can successfully transplant micro-chips or mini-processors to help the blind see, respect your eyes! And then even when we can do this, respect them anyway!

Related Links
I also recommend this website: www.CustomContacts.com I wish I could order from them but I have astigmatism :( They look so awesome, very realistic. So if you get any, can you send me a photo for my own enjoyment? I have even thought about having laser astigmatism correction so I can order these contacts, LOL!

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