Never Wear Expired Contact Lenses

It is unsafe to wear contact lenses that are out of date for a number of reasons.

In today's market, you should be aware that some unscrupulous dealers might try and sell you expired contact lenses over the Internet. Some of these fly by night companies are just out to make a fast buck and have no regard for their customer's eye safety. Expired contact lenses are the soft type, which have an expiration date marked clearly on the side of the package the contacts come in. Some efforts have been made by some to cover up the expiration date with stickers, markers, and such in an effort to hide the date from the consumer. Be wary of such action and if you see such practices contact your local authorities.

By putting expiration dates on contact lenses, the manufacturers show concern for the consumer. When these companies set out to design contact lenses for comfort, the issue of durability came against permeability. Since soft contact lenses are made of a material that is 58% water, in some instances they can dry out and lose their effectiveness. Also, some dealers might wish to keep contacts on their shelves for longer than the recommended time. Because of these issues, the expiration dates were placed on the package to insure consumers of their freshness and to keep old contact lenses out of the market.

Wearing contact lenses that have expired is never advisable under any circumstances. If the product information says to throw the product away after a certain date, it is advisable to do so. By wearing expired contact lenses, you may not be receiving the full benefits manufactured into the design and cannot fully enjoy the use of your contact lenses in the correct manner.