The effect of makeup on contact lens wear

Abstract

Aim: the purpose of this thesis was to investigate the incidence of contact lens wear and makeup, to determine if any advice regarding lens insertion/makeup application could aid comfort. Method: A questionnaire of a student population at Aston University Optometry department and to patients attending branches of The Optic Shop, South Wales, was conducted to determine wearing patterns for contact lenses and makeup. Those who regularly wore make-up and contact lenses were invited to take part in a subjective study to investigate differences in the level of comfort between inserting lenses before and after applying makeup over a 5 day period. Finally a more detailed objective study was conducted into the objective effects on myopes, hyperopes and presbyopes of inserting lenses before and after makeup, with and without the use of an eye makeup primer and with no makeup. Results: There were different wearing patterns and experience between a student population and a patient cohort. No subjective differences inthe levels of comfort with inserting contact lenses before and after the application of makeup was identified p<0.05). There was also no objective differences found between the insertion of contact lenses before and after the application of makeup, regardless of refractive error (p,0.05). However, ocular comfort and anterior eye health was adversely affected by the use of make-up in combination with contact lenses (p=0.025, p=0.001) and this could be reduced by the application of eyelid primer. Conclusions: The use of make-up in combination with contact lenses is common in females. The sequence of contact lens and make-up application does not affect ocular comfort and anterior eye health, however, it is adversely affected by the application of make-up and this effect can be reduced by the use of eyelid primer.