Halloween Without Eye Injury!

Tips for Kids and Adults!

Halloween is a spooktacular holiday that provides every age group to join in the fun. Children are always especially excited about dressing up and collecting as many treats as they can possibly fit in their pillow cases. As a fast growing city in the South, Charlotte offers a number of activities for adults including Haunted Houses, Scream Parks, and Haunted trails as well! Let’s not kid ourselves, treats are not just for kids, am I right? It’s clear October 31st is a special time, but every year people are injured, and often times from preventable injuries. So, we are going to help you and your family be safe this Halloween with some Halloween eye safety tips for every age. Enjoy!

Halloween Costumes Are Fun Until They Aren’t

Kids costumes often come with sharp accessories, like swords. These can be dangerous if your child falls or slips while trick-or-treating. They could also accidentally hurt another child. Assess your child’s maturity in carrying sharp accessories. Most accessories become hard to carry for little hands anyways, as they are usually carrying their loot!

Adults should also take some precautions in planning out their costumes. Often times, decorative contacts are a part of adult costumes. However, these are generally bought from unregulated sources. Being aware can help you save yourself from irreversible eye damage.

Finally, no matter the age, many Halloweener’s enjoy finishing their look with make-up! It is important for all ages that any make-up being used is hypo-allergenic and includes only approved additives. Using unregulated make-up can cause serious eye irritation. Often times eye irritation results because make-up is applied on or around the eyes and enters the eye accidentally. We recommend skipping make-up near the eyes for children, as they can easily rub their eyes.

Pumpkin Carving Can Be Potentially Dangerous

Carving pumpkins is a fun activity for the family, which includes little toddlers. However, carving a pumpkin can be seriously dangerous due to the sharp tools used to get that perfect looking pumpkin, which often includes a knife and saw. Without being careful an eye injury could result (not to mention an injury to the hands). For toddlers, getting them involved in the cleaning out process can be lots of fun. There are also other options other than carving a pumpkin, especially for those particularly small, like painting a pumpkin.

Make Sure To Be Seen

Being easily visible to other pedestrians, bikes, and vehicles should be top of mind. Every year accidents occur because someone wasn’t visible enough. Wearing bright, reflective clothing and carrying lighted treat bags, or flashlights can ensure that both you and your child are safe during Halloween. It is also important to keep in mind of changing weather conditions for those riding a bike or driving. A rainy or foggy evening can make roads harder to navigate, so take your time, and watch out for the little ones.