When colored contacts aren't enough, some people are paying thousands of dollars to have their eye color surgically changed. The techniques range from laser to implants to old-fashioned ink. While the cosmetic surgeons who do the procedure say it's safe, that may be an overstatement.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the list of risks include reduced vision, glaucoma, cataracts, and injuries to the cornea.
From the Washington Post:
There are three common ways to permanently change eye color: iris implants, keratopigmentation and laser depigmentation. All three surgeries alter the appearance of the colored part of the eye known as the iris. Keratopigmentation uses a laser to create a tunnel in the cornea to fill with colored ink, blocking the iris. Laser depigmentation uses a laser to reveal a lighter pigment that lies naturally under the iris's darker surface layer. An incision is required to insert an iris implant, a thin silicone sheet, between the sclera and cornea to block the iris[…]
[Weill Cornell Medicine professor and AAO spokesperson Christopher] Starr said the AAO has concerns about these procedures because they haven't gone through clinical trials in the United States, because there isn't enough U.S.-based peer-reviewed literature on them, and because the materials and medical devices for the surgeries have yet to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Previously:
• Take a peek at this doll eye display chart from the 1950s
• Color illustrations of 16th C eye-diseases, including those caused by witchcraft