Halloween for a makeup artist was turned into a “real-life nightmare” when her costume contact lenses allegedly ripped off her outer layer of the eyeball. This left her bedridden for a week and she was afraid she would go blind.
Jordyn, 27, from Seattle, Washington, dressed as a “cannibal esthetician” last Halloween. After seeing others using Dolls Kill lenses on social media, she decided to give the brand’s “spooky” all-black pair a try.
She claimed that the contact lens felt’stucky’ on her right eye and she tried to remove it later that night. So she pulled harder. At first, it felt like a ‘really bad scratch,’ but the next morning, she woke up in ‘excruciating pain’ and could barely open her eye because it was so swollen.
Ouch! Jordyn Oakland (27), from Seattle, Washington claims that the costume lens she wore last Halloween caused her outer eyeball to become detached (pictured).
Throwback: Jordyn wore Doll Kills black contact lenses when she was dressed up as a “cannibal esthetician” last October
Jordyn claimed she was told by her surgeon that the lens had removed her cornea’s outer layer. She was likely to need surgery and could lose her vision.
It was a nightmare on Halloween. She said that it was something she never expected to happen. It was extremely scary. A few days, my vision became blurred and I couldn’t see out of my eyes for a few days. I was afraid I would go completely blind in my right side eye.
“The first two days were scariest. Everyone I saw said it was terrible the first day. So I was preparing myself for the long-term issues. “Am I going have to pay for a specialist?” Is surgery required on my eye?
Jordyn, an online content creator about skin education and beauty hacks and makeup looks, claimed she had only ordered from Dolls Kill once before purchasing the Halloween-themed contacts.
“I had seen all over Social Media other people ordering from there wearing the contacts and being fine,” she said.
“I had never tried costume contacts before so it was like, “OK, maybe this year I’ll give it a try.” I’d seen so many people use them before, and honestly didn’t know that this could be possible.
Jordyn listened to the crowd. She said that she ordered the contacts because she saw people wearing them on social media and was impressed.
Looking back: Although the makeup artist stated that the lenses might occasionally move, they remained in place all evening and didn’t cause any ‘crazy inflammation’ at first
“I ordered them and had a bad feeling in that moment because there were no reviews or photos of anyone using them on the website. But it was from a very popular online site so that made me question my gut intuition.
“On the website itself, there wasn’t any manufacturer information, no reviews sharing their experiences, or uploading photos. The information was very minimal.
Jordyn claimed that she applied eye drops before her lenses were placed to condition her eyes. After the lenses were in they felt a little too big, slightly uncomfortable, and then it subsided after 30 minutes.
The lenses would occasionally move slightly, but they stayed in all evening and didn’t cause any ‘crazy irritation’ at first.
“We were all hanging out, and the contacts started irritating me eye and becoming uncomfortable. But I had also had them in there for about six hours, so it was probably time to get them out,” she stated.
Jordyn claimed that the contact lenses felt’stucky’ to her right eye when she tried taking them out later that evening. She pulled harder
Oh no: At first, it felt like a ‘really bad scratch,’ but the next morning, she woke up in ‘excruciating pain’ and could barely open her eye because it was so swollen
“I have worn contacts before so I took the contacts, slid them a bit and tried to grab it like I would normally. It felt stuck and I couldn’t get the right grip on it.
“So, I grabbed it a bit firmer the second time I went in. I took it out of my eyes and it was just full tears. It immediately felt like I had a very severe scratch on my eye.
‘I just started using eye drops on my eye and rinsing it with coldwater. It felt like something was stuck in my eye so I just kept rinsing, rinsed, and rinsed to try and get it out.
“My eye was bloodshot and nothing was coming out of my eye,” she said. I was opening my eyes and asking my friends to look at it with a flashlight.
Jordyn is working towards her master’s degree. She decided that she’d just need’sleepit off’ but when she woke up the following morning, she could not ignore the discomfort in her right side.
“I woke up at 6 AM and was in excruciating pain. She said that her eye was so red and swollen that I couldn’t open it.
Painful: Jordyn stated that she was told by a doctor that her cornea’s outer layers had been completely removed when she went into the ER.
Scary: A doctor allegedly told her boyfriend she could lose her sight.
“I started crying immediately because of the pain. It was difficult to control it at the moment. The whole drive [to the ER]I was in excruciating pain.
“I don’t even know what to describe it.” It was the worst pain that I have ever felt. It’s like burning, scratching, and so much irritation around the eyes.
“[The doctor]I looked at my eye and said that the outer cornea of my cornea looked like it was gone and that this is why the pain was so severe.
He said to my boyfriend, “There could possibly be a chance she could lose her vision.” This is really awful.
Jordyn was given eye drops, painkillers, antibiotics and an eye patch. She said that she had seen an ophthalmologist on the same day and was confirmed in her diagnosis.
Treatment: Jordyn was sent home with eye drops and antibiotics, painkillers and an eye patch. She said that she saw an ophthalmologist the next day, who confirmed her diagnosis.
Response: Dolls Kill claimed that the lenses were not manufactured by them and added that they ‘carefully vet all products and manufacturers we carry’
She explained that her right eye was always less sharp than her left, but it is now much worse.
“Two days later, my eye miraculously started to heal. It was amazing,” she said. It was probably around 20 percent better at that time. I was on painkillers for a week and was in bed for the rest of the week. It was really awful.
‘Since the accident, right in my center of my eyes, there’s always this small area that feels dry in some way. It makes my eye more sensitive so I can barely walk outside in the sunlight without wearing sunglasses.
“My right eye vision is noticeably worse. Although it was never great, I could still see small texts from far away. However, now it’s a complete mess. I can’t see the words if I look at a notepad with my right eye.
Jordyn stated that she was told she could have recurrent corneal eroding, a painful condition marked by the recurrent breakdown and regrowth of the epithelium (the outermost layer of the cornea).
She stated that reoccurring erosion was the only thing she could deal with after the incident. “It is possible that I could wake up one morning and see the exact same thing happen again for no apparent cause.”
Statement: Camden Passage the lens manufacturer claimed that Jordyn failed to read the instructions included with the lenses.
Jorydn recalled that she was on painkillers and in bed for a whole week due to the eye injury.
Jordyn stated that her eye began to heal after two days. However, her vision in that eye is now worse and she is at high risk of developing recurrent corneal erosion.
“It’s scary to my because they are so easily accessible. I think about young children and how easy it is to use debit cards to order online.
Jordyn hopes to raise awareness about the potential injuries costume contacts can cause. She is encouraging those who plan to wear them to do their research.
“I would never wear costume contacts again, unless they were made by a specialist who had really told me that they are very safe to wear,” she stated.
“I hoped posting would even help one person second guess that choice if it’s really worthwhile elevating Halloween costumes to this extent for the damage that could occur.
A spokesperson for Dolls Kill said the brand was not the manufacturer of the lenses, adding: ‘Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We are very concerned about the safety and health of our customers and vet all manufacturers and products that we carry.
Camden Passage, the lens manufacturer, claimed that Jordyn failed to read the instructions. He also stated that there haven’t been any other issues over the past ten years.
Aftermath: Jordyn expressed concern about her eyes, saying that she cannot go outside in direct sunlight without wearing sunglasses.
Using her voice: The esthetician is hoping to raise awareness of the ‘scary’ injuries that costume contacts can cause
Lesson learned: Jordyn said that he would never wear contact lenses again unless he was a specialist and had told me they were very safe to wear.
The statement stated that contact lenses are medical devices and should therefore be treated accordingly. Instructions for use must be followed in order to avoid injury. The instructions for use were not followed in this instance.
“Clinical studies have shown that contact lenses can be uncomfortable due to the presence of alcohol, birth control pills, or allergy medication. This could increase the likelihood of an adverse event.
Contact lenses manufactured by ‘Loox are made with the best quality and care. Our manufacturing is MDSAP certified and ISO 13485 registered, which are the highest certifications available for the manufacture of contact lense.
“We will conduct a thorough investigation as required by our ISO certified quality management systems and report findings to regulatory authorities. A post-market review is done during our yearly audits. In 11 years of being in contact lens business we have never experienced an adverse event.
All contact lenses, decorative or for correction of vision, are regulated medical devices. Loox contact lenses are made to the same standards that lenses for vision correction. In terms of care and handling, cosmetic contact lenses should be treated as regular contact lenses.
“Consumers should also be aware that counterfeit and illegal contact lenses are out there. The contact details of the manufacturer and instructions for use will always be included with certified lenses.