To Wear or not to wear...that is the question

Started by CosplayDevotee, March 29, 2011, 06:43:40 PM

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CosplayDevotee

So I was hoping this would be the best place to ask this question (since everywhere else on this peace o' crap internet there is nothing to find):

I am cosplaying as Death the Kid this coming Fanime and I was thinking about wearing yellow contact lenses as Death the Kid has yellow eyes. I have seen many cosplayers wearing yellow contact lenses as well as many others opting out on them. I think the cosplay has a little something extra with the contact lenses, but here is my problem. I am slightly concerned about wearing cosmetic contact lenses without really hearing some opinions on the matter. Asking my friends who actually wear corrective contact lenses say that it is too much work and causes itchy or sore eyes. I haven't found anyone who has said otherwise, but it is plainly obvious that there are people wearing these contact lenses at every con and halloween party I have ever gone to. So is there really a problem or is it just luck of the draw? I also dislike the idea of purchasing contact lenses from a con where an optomotrist is nowhere in sight to say whether or not the lenses you are purchasing will cause damage to your eye or even fit you right. I already made an appointment with an optomotrist in town to measure my eye, but it costs more than $150 dollars just to get your eyes measured and that doesn't even count the purchase of the contact lenses. SO in a nutshell, I was wondering if anyone had any opinions on the matter before I shell out $150 bucks to hear an optomotrist go "oh ya those $30 dollar one's you buy at a convention would have actually worked for you so....neenuuuuuuur neeeeenuuuuur. Sucks for you, thanks for the mega bucks!"

DivineVTDragon

So the big question is, "do you want to chance yourself and possibly cause major damage to your eyes, or would you be willing to shell the money?"

In my opinion, yes you should correctly measure your eyes and (if you aren't already) get adjusted to wearing contacts. The first week I had my new contacts it took a lot to get used to and I had some problems (red, sore eyes), but eventually my eyes got used to it and now I can wear them fine without much trouble. And yea, it is somewhat of a hassle to maintain. I have 3 special ones that I have to clean every now and then, even if I'm not wearing them.

I have purchased the contacts at the con before and it is very unlucky, but not everyone can wear them. I remember buying two different pairs (vampire red and blue) and found that I could not fit them into my eyes.

Ultimately, it is your decision. Your eyes are important to you, so do your best to take care of them.

redroses3164

You MUST get an optometrist to get fitted for lenses. If you don't, you might end up buying the wrong diameter/odd curvature and that can really mess with your eyes if you are not careful. Also, you may have astigmatism and not know it so you would need special contacts for that and only an optometrist could really tell if you have it or not.

I know that Costcos that have an optometrist does contact measuring/fitting for about $45 I believe (without insurance). It could be upwards to $75 but I don't really remember.

As long as you take care of the lenses, your eyes will be fine. I've worn contact lenses for about years now (and recently started wearing colored contacts from circle lens stores) and my eyes are fine.

But remember: colored contacts are not a huge deal when it comes to cosplaying. It does add a nifty detail but it is not necessary.

Kuudere

Quote from: redroses3164 on March 30, 2011, 11:16:21 AM
You MUST get an optometrist to get fitted for lenses. If you don't, you might end up buying the wrong diameter/odd curvature and that can really mess with your eyes if you are not careful. Also, you may have astigmatism and not know it so you would need special contacts for that and only an optometrist could really tell if you have it or not.

I know that Costcos that have an optometrist does contact measuring/fitting for about $45 I believe (without insurance). It could be upwards to $75 but I don't really remember.

As long as you take care of the lenses, your eyes will be fine. I've worn contact lenses for about years now (and recently started wearing colored contacts from circle lens stores) and my eyes are fine.

But remember: colored contacts are not a huge deal when it comes to cosplaying. It does add a nifty detail but it is not necessary.

I agree with this. Technically, sellers are not allowed to sell contacts to you without a verified prescription. Many places do so anyway, at their own risk. The FDA has this in place because yes, badly fitted contacts or poorly made contacts can mess with your eyesight. If you do decide to get contacts, having them fitted properly will also help prevent discomfort. When I got contacts, I had to try several trial pairs to get the right fitting, and the ones that didn't fit properly caused my eyes to strain, feel dry and tired, and made my vision blurry. Anyway, with contacts that fit properly, you should experience less of those issues.

In my opinion, unless you are doing some awesome photoshoot, contacts aren't too important. Most people don't see them until they're next to you. They're a nice cool effect to add to a costume, but really not necessary to have a great cosplay. It would even look cheesy if someone had theatrical contacts on and a terrible costume to go with it. But hey, if you've got the money and still want that perfect look, go for it (but do it safely, of course).

CosplayDevotee

DivineVTDragon I certainly didn't mean for my post to come off that way.  :-[ Yes I wish the process was cheaper, but I am certainly not going to destroy my eyes for a few saved $50's here or there. That's why I came here to get the opinions of others. As for my cosplay MeowDesu I think it is pretty great.  ;D I am very proud of how it came out and the only thing I had to make myself was the wig which was pretty hard. Took upwards of three late nights to make the white lines on the wig look juuuuuuust right. Adding another 2 days to dry and whalla.

I decided to keep the appointment with the optometrist, I wish I had heard about the costco idea before, but I think it's best for me to go to the optometrist that is most well known in our rinky dinky little town. Haha. Everyone at my workplace vouches for him and have even worn some of the cosmetic contact lenses through him and they are just like me, no need for corrective lenses.

Well thank you all for dropping a line. I am very happy with the opinions I received from you all. Who knows, maybe we'll bump into eachother at Fanime! Less than 60 days away now isn't it?! ^_^

Kuudere

My boyfriend actually cosplayed as Death the Kid a couple years ago, so yeah, I know how insane those white lines can be.  :D

Glad you're sticking with the appointment, though. At least, if they DO ask for a prescription like they're supposed to, you can slap that baby down without hesitation.  ;)

CosplayDevotee

Update! Went to the eye doc and it was the right decision by far. I am wearing clear contact lenses (have been since last Friday) all the way up to receiving my yellow lenses and bringing them to my optometrist to check out before sticking them in my eyes. It is much easier to wear these things than I realized. Thank god!