For the fifth consecutive year, university student Sarah Sami has been using contact lenses, whether she’s heading to college or attending events.

The 29-year-old Aden native, who met with "Barran Press" at a shopping mall in the Mansoura district of Aden, believes these lenses enhance her beauty and attractiveness.

Sarah told "Barran Press" that she chooses her clothes to match the color of the lenses she wears, often preferring the hazel ones, especially for weddings and events. She has been doing this for five years.

Although she doesn't wear contact lenses all the time, Sarah believes they draw attention to her, making her appear beautiful, even if this effect is temporary.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Jassar told "Baraan Press" that despite the beauty contact lenses add to a girl, they have an expiration date; the allure quickly fades once the lens is removed.

Aesthetic Expression

Psychologist Alfat Adel told "Barran Press" that colored eyes are an important part of facial aesthetic expression, considering that eyes are the "windows to the soul" in popular culture and poetry. "Seeing someone with an unusual eye color can pique others' curiosity and attract their attention," she added.

Regarding the attractiveness of eye colors and girls wearing lenses, Adel said, "Yes, colored contact lenses can attract people."

"Girls wear various colors like blue, gray, and green," she explained. "Additionally, hazel or brown lenses are considered the most natural choices as they mimic natural eye colors, enhancing facial features and making the eyes look bigger and brighter."

Changing eye color boosts a girl's sense of attractiveness and self-confidence, especially in cultures where physical appearance is a significant factor in self-esteem and achieving beauty, she noted.

"Many girls want to enhance their appearance or try a new look by changing their eye color, and colored lenses allow them to change their features easily," Adel added.

Artificial Eyes

Mohammed Jassar agreed that contact lenses are "tools for attracting men, given the special impact of colors on the psyche."

"There are differences between colored eyes: artificial and natural," he said. "Though rare, natural colored eyes offer lasting attractiveness, unlike artificial ones, which require significant effort for daily or seasonal wear. Each lens color needs matching clothes and makeup to align facial details."

Beauty expert Lin Wahib believes that contact lenses are "one of the attractions many girls turn to and have become one of the essential beauty tools recently popular in Yemen."

Asked whether people can distinguish between natural and artificial colored eyes, Wahib told "Barran Press" that "colored lenses have a shine and gloss that can be recognized, unlike natural colored eyes."

"Contact lenses have become part of beauty salon rituals, with clients preferring to match hair and face colors to lens colors," she added. However, she always warns against wearing lenses during hair styling and makeup sessions since the heat from hairdryers affects contact lenses, and many girls have previously suffered severe injuries.

Painful Experience

Unlike previous experiences, Maryam Ali shared her friend Shaima Walid's experience with contact lenses. Shaima was wearing lenses when one slipped inside her eye, causing a scratch she didn't realize. This led to an eye infection, and she couldn't see for four consecutive days until she visited a doctor.

Speaking of her own experience, Maryam said, "Even I haven't escaped eye pain caused by wearing colored lenses; the inflammation stays with me the next day."

"I can't open my eyes when I wake up the next morning after wearing lenses, and I feel a severe stinging and pain in my eyes, almost like conjunctivitis," she added.

Risks and Tips

Regarding the risks associated with wearing contact lenses, eye doctor Ibtehal Al-Saqqaf said it depends on how the lenses are handled and cleanliness during wear and removal, along with keeping the lens case clean and storing lenses in a clean, dry place. "Avoid washing or swimming with lenses," she added.

When feeling discomfort, "remove the lens from the eye; if any problems arise, visit a doctor," advised Al-Saqqaf, who is a consultant in ophthalmology and surgery at Dar Al-Oyoun Clinic in Khormaksar. She warned against "using any eye drops without a prescription."

In case of a corneal scratch, Al-Saqqaf emphasized not wearing lenses again for at least six months.

She also warned against "borrowing lenses" because "each person should have their own lenses." Al-Saqqaf advised against wearing lenses for more than eight hours a day.

Although "lenses are made of silicone or hydrogel; they consist of lightweight materials that do not affect the cornea and allow oxygen to pass through to the cornea," she said, "it's not recommended to sleep with them, even if the packaging says otherwise."

Contact Lens Trade in Aden

Speaking about the contact lens trade, the owner of a beauty stall at Hanaa Mall in Crater said that peak sales occur during Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and social events. On regular days, sales are slower.

The owner of Sakura shop said she offers six colors: brown, hazel, blue, gray, green, and caramel. Prices for regular lenses range between 4,500 and 9,000 Yemeni riyals.

She noted that original lenses cost 10,000 Yemeni riyals or more and are more reliable. Original lenses come from recognized brands, and she prefers "dealing with certified companies." Some of the original lens brands she mentioned include "Gold by Lens" and "Lens Me."

Regarding risks, she advises her customers to "continuously clean (sanitize) the lenses after wear with lens solution, considering eye sensitivity."

As for the lifespan of lenses, lenses stored in the refrigerator in their solution last six months, while medical lenses are only sold with a prescription.

Several opticians in Aden confirmed to "Barran Press" that they only sell (medical) contact lenses to girls based on doctors' recommendations. According to them, a single medical transparent lens costs 20,000 Yemeni riyals, and a colored medical lens costs 22,000 Yemeni riyals.