What happens to contact lenses when they "expire"?
January 16th, 2010 | by admin |I’ve seen cosmetic contact lenses online that say they last for 1 year, but what happens to them after a year? Do they shrivel up or something? And is there any way to make them last longer?
I don’t think they can’t be guaranteed sterile after a year.
2 Responses to “What happens to contact lenses when they "expire"?”
By Miki on Jan 16, 2010 | Reply
I don’t think they can’t be guaranteed sterile after a year.
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By ms on Jan 16, 2010 | Reply
The preservatives in the storage solution don’t keep the lenses sterile forever. Bacteria can eventually grow, and it’s not always something you can see or smell. Ever gotten sick from eating something that seemed fine? It’s the same concept with expired contacts.
This is merely speculation on my part, but it’s also possible that the strength and integrity of the lens may be compromised after a certain time period has elapsed. All plastics have a time after which they become less stable. Infant carseats, for example, expire after five years or so because the plastic they’re made from gets brittle from exposure to the temperature extremes in a vehicle and from the aging process. After a certain amount of time, it cannot be guaranteed not to shatter under stress, like in an accident. It’s possible that contact lenses lose their flexibility and strength after expiration, and they might be more prone to tearing and ripping. Wearing a ripped lens or having one tear while it’s in can injure your eye, so that would be a good reason not to wear expired lenses if my theory is true.
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