In recent years, there have been many innovations in the types of special effects lenses that are used by the theatrical industry to transform the eyes of their actors. Special effect lenses are used to create eye appearances that cannot be obtained in any other way and because the eyes are considered to be the windows to the soul, having dramatic eyes on the actors in the movie can pull the entire look of the character together in a way that is incomparable. Because of the growing popularity of these types of lenses, some people that are not in the theatrical industry have chosen to purchase and wear these lenses as a fashion statement.



One of the most popular types of special effects lenses on the market today are the ones that are individually hand painted by artists to create the appearance that the purchaser desires. These lenses are made out of some of the softest plastic available for contact lenses and the designs for the lenses are hand-painted by some of the leading artists in the industry, making each set of lenses a unique creation. These hand-painted lenses are much more highly prized that the theatrical lenses that are mass produced by machinery in a factory.

Hand-painted special effects lenses can be purchased as either standard lenses that are used only to change the appearance of the eyes or prescription lenses that provide vision correction as well as altering the appearance of the eyes. To obtain the prescription lenses, the person will first need to see an optometrist for an eye examination to be sure that the prescription lenses will allow them to see properly. Having an incorrect prescription for the lenses could can damage to the eyes and prevent the person from seeing correctly while the lenses are in.

Many of the artists that hand-paint the theatrical special effects lenses are able to create virtually any design that the person can imagine. Purchasers can email or fax their design to the company that creates the special effects lenses and receive a reply of whether or not the design is possible within a matter of days. After the lenses have been painted in the design that the purchaser desires, the lenses are carefully packed in a sterile solution and shipped to the purchaser using one of the main package delivery services in the country.

These hand-painted special effects lenses can last for a number of years as long as they are cared for properly. The lenses can be cleaned and disinfected with regular cleaning solutions and stored in typical contact lens cases without damaging the lenses. It is not recommended for individuals to share a pair of contact lenses, even if they are not prescription lenses, because diseases could be transferred by the lenses from one person to another. As special effects lenses become more and more popular with members of the general population as well as individuals in the theatrical industry, hand-painted special effects lenses will continue to make an appearance at theaters near you.