Do contacts make your eyes bigger?
Have you noticed your eyes getting bigger when you put in contact lenses? What's up with that? All you did was put in your contacts, and now, you seem either really innocent or really interested in things going on around you. It's okay - some of this is an illusion, which is pretty cool in itself, but some of it is actually real. Here's what's going on and whether you should be concerned about it.
Bigger eyes through contacts
The first reason your eyes look bigger when you're wearing contacts is just that: they look bigger. Optical illusions are cool on their own, but here's how it works in your eyes.
Optical illusions and contact lenses
Have you ever done that thing where you move a magnifying glass back and forth in front of your eye? You know how it made your eye look like it was getting bigger and smaller as you moved it? As a rule, the farther you move the lens from your eye, the bigger your eye looks.
Contact lenses act kind of like that. When you put lenses in, you have a refractive lens sitting a small distance forward of your cornea. This is optically like holding a small magnifying glass a tiny fraction of an inch in front of the eye. Even a small distortion like this will produce a noticeable embiggening of the pupil (the dark spot) and the iris (the colored spot).
Contact lenses for eye enlargement
You can do this on purpose, and some lenses are better at it than others. Generally, whole-eye lenses are better at this than soft contacts, while colored contacts accentuate the effect even more.
The science behind eye size and contacts
So, what's going on here? Is it just the optical illusion thing, or is there some cool science going on? Read on.
Pupil size and perception
Humans are almost creepy in our ability to gauge changes in others' eyes. We communicate with glances, and most of us are keyed into the smallest shift in parts of the face. The eyes are ground zero for this awareness, so a tiny variation here has an outsized impact on our perceptions.
Contact lenses can slightly exaggerate the apparent size of the pupils, which stands out prominently because the pupils are black circles right in the middle of the eyes. The irises are a splash of color in the blank, white sclera, so they also stand out prominently. Anything that moves the apparent edges of the pupils into the irises, or the irises into the sclera, will look like it's shrinking the whites of the eyes, making the observer's brain think you have huge eyes when it's really just a trick of the light.
Debunking myths about eye size and contacts
People have noticed this effect. It's rare to meet somebody who absolutely hates the appearance of bigger eyes, but it's not rare to find myths and misconceptions about the effect, especially on the internet.
Temporary vs. permanent changes
So far, we've just been talking about illusory alterations, which obviously stop when you take out the lenses. Contacts can physically change your eyes, but it's not as straightforward as enlargement of the pupil or the iris. Instead, the changes tend to affect the cornea.
Yeah, but. . . do your eyes ACTUALLY change shape?
Contact lenses are medical devices that rest against your very tender eyes. They inevitably change the shape of the tissues they press against, and some of these changes are permanent. Flat-fitted lenses, for example, flatten the central cornea.
That by itself can change how big your irises and pupils look, but there's more. Steep contact lenses can restrict oxygen to the cornea, which then swells up a bit and does the magnifying glass trick all by itself. Finally, long-term contact use thins the cornea over a period of several years. This is usually no big deal, but you should get regular eye exams to make sure.
Bigger eyes through contacts (except not really)
So, we've seen your eyes can change with contact lens use, but it's mostly an illusion that goes away when they're taken out. You can do this on purpose, but always get prescription contacts made to fit your eyes. Talk with an eye care professional to get proper lenses, and hey, you can even save some money with these cool coupons for lenses delivered to you.
FAQs
Can you permanently change the size of your eyes with contacts?
Contacts can gradually alter the shape of your corneas, but the overall size of your eyes isn't changing.
What are the risks of using contacts for eye enlargement?
Properly prescribed contacts are safe and effective. Contacts sold without a prescription are generally illegal, and they can be dangerous. Only get the contacts your eye care professional prescribes for you.
Which contact lenses make eyes look bigger?
Hard lenses create more of an enlarging effect than soft lenses, and whole-eye contacts do a better trick of the light than front lenses. Colored lenses tend to exaggerate the effect, while clear lenses minimize it.