Even coloured or novelty contact lenses should be supplied and fitted by a registered practitioner.
Dharmesh Patel, chairman of the Eyecare Trust, said that this is the case in accordance with UK law.
He added that there has been an increased interest in coloured lenses and iris enhancing lenses, inspired by celebrities such as Lady Gaga.
But consumers need to be aware that these lenses are "still subject to the Opticians Act and must be dispensed by an eyecare professional".
The comments come as a survey conducted by ACUMINDER confirmed that people are not always following the advice of their contact lens supplier.
According to the research, people said that they simply forget which day they are supposed to change their lenses.
Mr Patel added that fashion is not the only reason for an increased interest in tinted lenses.
"Light filtering tints are also becoming more popular on the sports field – golfers find that a grey/green tint can improve visibility on the fairway in bright light conditions," he explained.
© Adfero Ltd
Private treatment news: 18 February 2011
