Like the BBLs and thread lifts that came before, yet another trending cosmetic procedure has prompted warnings from doctors.
After a video of a woman having her eye colour permanently changed racked up more than 78 million views across TikTok and Twitter, social media users shared both intrigue and revulsion at the controversial surgery.
The clip, from French clinic New Vision, showed Brazilian model Layyons’ irises go from dark brown to shocking blue, which the caption confirms was done using FLAAK Pro, a form of keratopigmentation.
This cosmetic surgery uses a laser to create a ‘tunnel’ before injecting a blue-grey pigment into the cornea.
Comments flooded in, with @z_rux saying, ‘I’d rather keep my eyesight thank you,’ and @richaaaa.k asking ‘Is it really worth it?’
@mrkzdr called the finished result an ‘uncanny valley’ look, while @nickypuppy90 added: ‘She looks like a white walker from Game of Thrones now.’
Many also questioned the safety of such a procedure, including a number of ophthalmologists and optometrists (doctors who specialise in eyecare, vision, and eye-related conditions) and other medical professionals.
The risks of the procedure, according to New York-based optometrist Dr Jennifer Tsai, can include glaucoma, uveitis, vision loss, and blindness.
Meanwhile, oculofacial plastic surgeon Dr Nathan told his 83,000 TikTok followers: ‘There’s still not enough research that supports using this laser for eye colour change…
‘Be careful with these trends, make sure they’re well studied, and make sure you understand what’s going on.’
According to New Vision, the specific FLAAK technique they use ‘only concerns the surface of the eye and thus avoids intraocular complications such as haemorrhages, infections, retinal detachment and glaucoma.’
The clinic’s website also claims it is a ‘completely painless’ and reversible surgery that offers ‘optimal safety’ compared to laser depigmentation, a procedure that’s banned in France and in many countries around the world including the UK.
It’s also important to point out that keratopigmentation differs from silicone iris implants, which carries a higher level of risk (leaving one woman with severe and permanent vision damage).
Plus, the method can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat patients after physical or surgical trauma, congenital malformations or infections affecting the eye.
Yet the lack of information and regulation into the procedure for cosmetic reasons means it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Among the limited studies of keratopigmentation, researchers found that it could lead to perforations, corneal melting or erosions, sensitivity to light, swelling, conjunctivitis, discolouration or epithelial defects.
Jose Lamarca, assistant medical director and coordinator of the Anterior Segment and Refractive Surgery area at the Barraquer Ophthalmology Center in Barcelona, told Verificat: ‘It is a very dangerous operation. We have seen patients develop blindness.’
For those who are desperate for a change, coloured contact lenses, when properly fitted by an ophthalmologist, are a far less dangerous option.’
Dr Andrew Iwach, a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, told Healthline: ‘We want to be ourselves and individuals. However, there are lines we should not cross.
‘The eye is a critical organ that is very, very delicate and very, very sensitive. The bottom line is, there are lots of ways to customise and individualise who you are without risking your vision.’
Ideally, you’d learn to love your natural eyes and steer clear of messing with them altogether. If that’s not possible, though, think long and hard about how (and where) you go about it, and ask yourself if aesthetics mean more to you than your sight.
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