Receptionist Julian Hamlin bought the lenses for 15 dollars without a prescription, and made sure to disinfect and replace them regularly.
‘There were no warnings or instructions about the risks’ Hamlin told Buzzfeed.
But after wearing the lenses for about two years, Hamlin woke up one day in 2012 with a severe eye infection.
“It was so out the blue. … I just woke up and my eye felt weird, so I went to the doctor, but he thought it was pinkeye,” he said.
Three days later, Hamlin was in hospital with a severe corneal ulcer, and he then developed glaucoma from increased pressure in the eye.
He has since undergone several cornea transplants over his ‘long, painful journey’ during which time he’s missed many days of work.
Hamlin now wears an eyepatch in public, something which he says he finds hard because of people’s cruel comments.
In America, it’s illegal to sell lenses without a prescription - as they are medical devices - and according to eyecare specialists in the UK, the same is true over here.
Even if the lenses are what they call 'plano' (non prescription), they still MUST be fitted and sold by a qualified optometrist.