It was always considered that contact lenses and color contact lenses were newer technologies. Not at all. It was first described and sketched by Leonardo Da Vinci, way back in 1508! However, Joseph Dallos developed the technology in its current form, a Hungarian physician in 1929. The contact lens industry picked up steam in 1971, when the United States accepted the commercial distribution of contact lenses. The tinted daily-wear soft contact lenses were developed in 1980, and the soft contact lenses that changed eye color by 1987. The technology for color contacts advanced over the last ten years, with the desire of users to make a striking physical change.

Today, though a person can make a temporary physical change with the use of color contact lenses, when first introduced in the market, they were designed for only subtle eye color changes. It is now possible for a person with brown eyes to sport blue eyes with color contacts, and vice versa.

Exploring Color Contacts
Actually, all contact lenses are color contacts. The amount of tint ranges from the colorless, or invisible, when worn, to the range that effects complete color change. Contact lenses have a light tint – known as handling or visibility tint. This blue or green tint makes it easier to 'see' the contacts. This tint is so light that it does not affect the color of the wearer's eyes.

The enhancement-tinted lenses, which are semi transparent, enhance the natural color of your eyes, without changing it. They complement the natural color of your eyes and produce the best results with light colored eyes.

Color contacts with the highest degree of tinting are the opaque lenses. These completely change the color of your eyes. These are very popular for purely cosmetic reasons, and are available with or without prescription.

The latest color contacts are the light filtering tints. They are designed for enhancing the vision of sportsmen, by accenting some colors and muting others. They allow the sportsmen to see the balls or the target more easily!

Buying Color Contacts
There is a wide range of color contacts available in the market. You need to look for high quality contacts with a right price tag. One good way to start is by visiting your eye doctor. It does not matter whether you are looking for prescription color contacts or non-prescription ones. The doctor will ensure the health of your eyes, as well as their size. You do have a choice of filling in your prescription at the doctor's, if he is dealing in color contacts.

However, there are other avenues to explore. You can purchase color contacts from many online sources as well. Make sure you shop around for your color contacts to get the best product you can.

Michael Wright is a virtual authority on contact lenses. He has further writings on color contacts and astigmatism.

Tags: eye color, last ten years, tints, newer technologies, cosmetic reasons, sportsmen, color of your eyes, brown eyes, soft contact lenses, leonardo da vinci, color contact lenses, color changes