Vanity Watch: Teeth Whitening Systems and Colored Contact Lenses

Whether you like it or not, huge numbers of people are paying substantial amounts of money to get whiter teeth and change the color of their eyes with colored contact lenses.

Discoloration occurs as we age and some people will do whatever it takes in order to have a smile worth showing. Actors, wild entertainers, musicians and Goths often choose tinted lenses for parties, Halloween events, monster movies or for surprising friends.

Face it - vanity is a monster! We want to look the way we want to be seen by others! Perfectly!

Nike has come out with a type of tinted contact lenses that can illuminate the contrast between green grass and a white golf ball, while mitigating harmful white light and UV rays. Tinted lenses are used by baseball players who are forced to stare into the sunset or look up into the sunny sky very often, which may cause eye strain over time. These special soft contact lenses are reasonably priced, despite their innovation, regularly retailing at $76 for three pairs of monthly disposable contact lenses. You can find deals as low as $55, so it pays to look around for contact lenses online too.

 They can be as outrageous as cat-printed, spiral designs or all black irises, or they can be as subtle as a brilliant purple or glowing red. These crazy lenses are for people who wish to avoid boredom or love the shock value. Vin Diesel, Marilyn Manson and Kate Beckinsale are just a few of the many stars who've tried tinted disposable contact lenses.

But do you really need to visit a professional or would buying a name brand dental whitening system be better, in order to achieve good results? If you consider the cost as well as the results, you may change your mind about paying out thousands of dollars to a cosmetic dentist.

A dental whitening system works by applying a gel directly to the surface of each tooth. In the early days of seeking whiter teeth, a person would order a home kit that could potentially do more harm than good. First, you had to shape the plastic tray into a mold of your teeth. The tray would be worn overnight. The problem was that the active ingredient in the gel was effective for only an hour or two, and the gel would be swallowed during the night. This sometimes caused irritation of the gums and the throat.

Items such as Crest White Strips have eliminated the need for the bulky whitening trays and bleach that stayed on overnight. These whitening strips are applied to the teeth and then left on for fifteen to thirty minutes twice a day. Some of the new lines are applied only at night. The reason is that most people, after brushing their teeth at night, do not eat or drink anything until they wake in the morning, therefore leaving the whitening gel on the tooth surface longer.

Have you ever seen the Chronicles of Riddick, Ghostbusters, The Incredible Hulk or X-Men? Many movies make use of mirror tinted contact lenses for dramatic flair, but they are also available for consumers to purchase too! What could be wilder than having cat-like eyes, crazy patterns or truly black irises? On one hand, tinted lenses appeal to the outrageous, the Goths, the rockstars, the Halloween costume shoppers and the actors. But on the other hand, there are more subtle tints, that have surprisingly practical uses too.

For the less dramatic, tinted contact lenses can provide a subtle change in eye color. This type is most often marketed to those with blue or green eyes, looking for a subtle shift in color. For instance, Durasoft has Eye Enhancer colors like Aquamarine, Pacific Blue and Jade Green to add that little sparkle, or a vivid ring around the outside of the iris and pupil. "Freshlook Dimensions" tinted lenses by Ciba Vision offer exotic Jade Green, Pacific Blue and Caribbean Aqua. Or the "Freshlook Radiance" lenses may be more appealing in Autumn, Eden or Moonlight, which casts a natural-looking starburst pattern and color hue to one's eye color.

Tinted contact lenses can be practical or fun. Like any lens, wearers are reminded that lens care is very important. Sharing them can cause eye disease, as will not changing them often enough. For the occasional odd game or party, a daily lens will be just fine. For daily use, the weekly or monthly lenses are the most cost-efficient option. To test out tinted contacts, one can check with Acuvue or the nearest optician for a free trial pair.

Teeth whitening kits also are produced in generic versions such as Equate found in Wal-Mart. Truth be told, they are just as effective as their brand name counterparts. If you are unsure if the kit is of the same quality as Crest, then take a look at the ingredients list. Chances are the active ingredients are the same for both brands and you may actually save a few dollars.

A dental whitening system may not be the best idea if you have problems with the enamel on your teeth. The gel can cause sensitivity and pain. It may also irritate your gums and produce an allergic reaction. The majority of adults do not have problems with using the whitening kits and you may not either. You can always talk with your dentist about a tooth whitening product that he or she recommends based on your dental history.

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