VIRGINIA BEACH -- Blue eyes today. Green eyes tomorrow. Some Virginia Beach students have started changing their eye color several times a week.
Colored contact lenses have become a new fad, according to school officials. They sent an email alert to parents warning them of potential dangers from the lenses.
"The danger is kids are swapping and sharing these lenses without the benefit of solutions or sterilization," said the email.
Optometrist Dr. Mark Lipton says sharing lenses is never a good idea.
"There's a risk of bacterial infection which can irritate the surface of the eye and cause decrease in vision," explained Lipton.
He said if students swap contacts or don't have the proper prescription it can cause eye problems.
"The lens has to be fit properly," said Lipton. "Each cornea has a different shape to it and it has to match the curvature of the contact lens."
The law requires teens to have a prescription for contact lenses even if they're just cosmetic.
But we sent photojournalist Beth Brown into Sisters Beauty Supply in Virginia Beach and she bought a pair of sky blue contacts without showing a prescription.
When we asked the owner of the store, Youn Ju, if she knew it was illegal to sell contacts without a prescription she said, "I don't know."
She claims the contact lens distributor told her she could sell them without a prescription.
"The company says no problem, so I sell it."
Dr. Lipton says if your child wants to wear colored contact lenses, you should book an appointment with an eye doctor, so the teen can be properly fitted for them.
