Health

You Can Surgically Change Your Eye Color, But Is It Worth the Risks?

surgically-change-eye-color-is-it-worth-risks
(Photo via stock_colors / Getty Images)

If you’ve ever wanted to change your eye color like you’re in a real-life video game character creator, you can—but the surgery comes with risks that may not be worth the green eyes.

Keratopigmentation, iris implants, and laser depigmentation procedures are catching on. While they’re marketed as safe, the procedures come with huge risks like glaucoma, cataracts, and just straight-up vision loss but hey, at least you and your dog have matching eyes now.

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If you think that’s an insane reason to change your eye color, that’s what 22-year-old cryptocurrency investor Cameron Briggs of Essex, England, did.

@flaak_new_color

Eye color change using the FLAAK Pro technique, the most advanced and natural keratopigmentation. On the advice of New Color, Beatriz🇧🇷 chose the Water Green color, surgery took place in Roma 🏛️🇮🇹 You dream about changing the color of your eyes? Send us a PM💌 #newcolor #flaak #keratopigmentation #ceratopigmentcao #cheratopigmentazione #eyecolorchange #eyes #eye

♬ son original – FLAAK

Briggs underwent keratopigmentation to change one of his eyes to match his puppy’s steely blues. He then endured 48 hours of pain post-surgery, during which he took a flight home and felt like he was “about to explode,” per Washington Post.

Ultimately, however, he still recommended the surgery to others. Briggs’ gamble turned out fine, according to him. Others are not so lucky.

EYE COLOR SURGERY CAN SERIOUSLY damage YOUR EYES

A TikTok influencer named Diana Khalil underwent iris implants to get the blue eyes she had always dreamed of having. Unfortunately, the striking new color led to glaucoma and vision loss in both eyes, and she’s needed several corrective surgeries since.

After getting the implants about 10 years ago, she’s since had them removed. She says she still wakes up with blurry vision to this day.

“I’m waking up really blurry. I need at least an hour to clear up and see or do anything,” she said on TikTok. “It is a big deal, and I’m not fine.”

@dinakhaaa

Please don’t change your eye color! No MATTER what technique is being done DON’T DO IT. #glaucoma #eyecolor #awareness

♬ original sound – Dina Khalil

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), has raised concerns over the safety of these surgeries, saying that the lack of clinical trials, FDA approval, and peer-reviewed studies supporting these procedures leaves the door open to way more risks than an eye color change might be worth right now.