Planning to make your costume complete with a pair of Halloween contact lenses? Then there are a few things you should know before you order yourself a pair of scary special effect contacts.

1. Can I see when wearing costume lenses?

Yes: the center of most special effect lenses - including black-out lenses - is clear, so you can see. The only exceptions are white-outs, frost and other designs that have to hide pupils. These lenses must be worn only one at a time.

2. Do special effect lenses come with or without corrective power?

People with good vision can get any special effect contact lenses for Halloween with zero power (plano lenses). Some collections come with corrective powers as well - for example, costume lenses from Wild Eyes and Crazy Lenses. Usually only minus corrective powers are avaliable, though, and they never go farther than -6.

3. Are Halloween special effects lenses comfortable?

If you get high quality lenses like Crazy Lenses or Wild Eyes, they will feel comfortable in your eyes. However, dont expect that you wont feel the lens at all, especially if you are not used to wearing contact lenses. Also because of the opaque color layer, costume lenses block the flow of oxygen to your eyes, so they might feel irritating after several hours of wear. Eight hours is the recommended upper limit, for wearing costume contacts.

4. How long do Halloween costume lenses last?

Most special effect contact lenses are traditional replacement lenses, which means that they last for a year. Actually, if you dont wear your lenses every day and take good care of them, brand-name lenses like Wild Eyes can last up tp 18 months.

There are also monthly disposable Crazy Lenses by Cooper Vision, which last for about 30 days. These lenses are a great choice if you plan to wear your scary contacts only during Halloween. They are also cheaper than yearly lenses.

5. Are there any health risks related to contacts for Halloween?

There are a lot of FDA warnings about Halloween contact lenses. However, most problems occur because people dont follow a few simple rules, which any contact lens wearer should know. Here they are:

• Visit an optometrist before you get your lenses. Contacts are not a one-size-fits-all proposition - a doctor needs to measure your eyes for the best fit

• Buy your costume lenses only from registered contact lens retailers. Never buy them from a gas station or beauty salon.

• Never share your lenses with anybody - it is a sure way to pick up an eye infection

• Dont wear your special effect lenses for longer than 8 hours in a row and never sleep in them

• Wash your hands with soap before handling your lenses

• Carry a contact lens case filled with solution with you, so you can take out your lenses if your eyes start to feel irritated

• Never wear a damaged lens

6. What is the price range of Halloween contacts?

Mass produced lenses like Wild Eyes and Crazy Lenses are quite affordable. You can get a pair cat eyes, hot red, spirals or black-outs for $60-$80.

There are also companies that offer handpainted special effect contact lenses with hundreds of very interesting designs. These lenses are called theatrical contact lenses and would cost you $200 or more, per pair.

7. Where is the best place to order costume contacts for Halloween?

Your optometrist can get them for you, but this way you will pay more than necessary. Your best bet is to order your special effect lenses from an online contact lens store. You just need to be careful and make sure that you are dealing with a trusted online contact lens retailer.