Eye Tattoo

From butter boards to viral dances, social media has spawned a host of fads, but experts have warned against the latest trend: eye-tattooing.

The procedure, known as keratopigmentation, is a recent development and can be used for therapeutic purposes to improve the appearance of eyes.

This can include for people who have been left with scars on the transparent front partof the eye, known as the cornea, as a result of infection, disease or injury, or who have aniridia, a condition where the iris has not formed properly.

However, experts have raised concerns the procedure is becoming a popular aesthetic trend, with influencers posting TikTok videos of them undergoing surgery to permanently change their eye colour – often from brown to blue or green.


Alex Day, a consultant eye surgeon and ophthalmologist at Moorfields private eye hospital in London, said the procedure was not available for purely cosmetic reasons in the UK, meaning those seeking eye tattoos tend to go abroad.

But, he added, problems can emerge in the months that follow, with potential complications including blindness.

“These are people that have healthy eyes, they have no problems with their eyes, and then they go and have a procedure purely for[cosmetic reasons] that could have huge long-term implications with regards to eye health and vision that will affect them for the rest of their lives,” he said.

Keratopigmentation typically involves the patient being given a local anaesthetic before a surgeon makes a cut in their cornea using a laser or needle. This creates a tiny pocket into which pigments are injected. These pigments mask the natural colour of the iris that is normally visible through the transparent cornea, resulting in an apparent colour change……

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand...olour-changing-surgery?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other