Essential Safety Tips for a Spooktacular Halloween Night

October is Halloween Safety Month! With the holiday coming up soon, we want to help make sure the night remains fun and exciting for you and your family! 🎃

Your night should end with you and your family sorting through candy happily at home - not sitting in the hospital or treating an injury. By preparing beforehand and knowing what costume parts/accessories pose safety risks, you can reduce the chance of injuries!

Costume Safety Tips

Be sure to keep your children's eyes unblocked- avoid masks, floppy hats, eye patches, or wigs that may obscure their vision. It can already be difficult to see once it gets dark out, so keeping these accessories out of the question will prevent it from getting any harder. Eyepatches can throw off your depth perception, making it easy to trip and/or fall.

Also, be cautious when it comes to face makeup! It’s always a good idea to test out any makeup you plan to use before Halloween night. Testing at least 24-48 hours in advance can reveal any allergies or irritations. This is especially important when it comes to costume makeup kits you buy at box stores, which usually aren’t made with high-quality materials. This makes them more likely to irritate the skin. 

Try on some of your makeup on a small section of your face/skin and pay attention for a rash, redness, swelling, or other signs of irritation where it was applied. These are signs of a possible allergy, and you should not use that makeup for an extended period of time like on Halloween. 

Use extra caution when applying makeup on or around the eyes, as the skin there is very sensitive and more prone to irritation.

Colored Contact Lenses

Cosmetic contact lenses are a common purchase for Halloween costumes, but they are often sold illegally. They are required to be sold with a prescription, which most costume shops, box stores, or corner stores forgo. This means that the lenses may not fit properly, may not be sterile, and can cause lasting damage to your eyes. 

Ill-fitting contacts can cause eye infection, sores, corneal abrasions and scratches, and even blindness. Infections can lead to a corneal ulcer - an open sore on the cornea. Corneal ulcers can lead to complications such as astigmatism, cataracts, glaucoma, and vision loss, so prevention and early detection are vital.

The symptoms of a corneal ulcer are:

• red/bloodshot eye

• discomfort or pain in the eye

• teary/watery eye

• blurry vision

• more sensitivity to light than usual

• feeling like there's something in your eye

• eyelid swelling

You may also notice a white or grey spot on your cornea when you look in the mirror. These are not always visible to the naked eye, so the other symptoms may be your sign to get an eye exam.

If colored contacts are an essential part to your costume, be sure to purchase them with a prescription. It's not worth it to risk serious damage to your eyes or your children's eyes just for Halloween night. Lenses can be bought directly from your doctor, or from a store that asks for your prescription first. Buying contacts this way ensures that you get lenses that fit your eye and are guaranteed to be safe.

Taking Care of Contacts

You may only use contacts on Halloween night, but it’s still important to follow proper lens hygiene to avoid any complications! Misusing contacts and/or not keeping good lens hygiene can lead to infections, which can be incredibly painful and even damaging long-term. 

Here are some general hygiene rules when it comes to contacts:

• Never share lenses with others, even for just a quick try-on.

• Always clean contact lenses with lens solution - NEVER tap water.

• Always remove contact lenses before sleeping.

• If you experience any redness, pain, blurry vision, or irritation while wearing lenses or after removing them, do not continue wearing them and see your eye doctor as soon as possible.

Keep your Halloween festive and fun by taking care of your lenses and your eyes!