Beautiful colored eyes have always been a symbol of beauty. Almost all of us have used colored contact lenses to change our eye colors temporarily. But did you know that you can also change your eye color permanently?
While none of us have ever imagined that way, it has now become possible to achieve a different eye color permanently through iris implant surgery. It is a new yet controversial surgical procedure that permanently changes your eye color.
This type of surgery was initially designed as a treatment method for traumatic eye injuries and medical conditions, such as coloboma and aniridia. Nowadays, the procedure is also being very popular for cosmetic reasons. Many people choose to undergo the iris implant just to change their natural eye color despite the normal functioning of their iris.
So before we go into much detail about the iris implant surgery, why not learn some basics as to human eye color? Let’s start the journey here.
What is Iris?
The colored portion of the eye is called iris which may consist of different colors, such as brown, green, black, blue, hazel or even a mixture of these colors. Generally, a blend of your parents’ genetics determines your iris color. If your parents’ genes have the same eye color, chances are that you would have the same color as theirs. However, a combination of different eye colors makes it difficult to predict a specific eye color for you. And so, it may also not match the eye color of either of your parents.
Does Your Eye Color Change Naturally?
You may experience a slight change in your eye color by the time. In infancy, the eye color not only matures fully but also gets darken, especially in the first few years of life. This is the age when you will naturally have a certain color, such as black or hazel.
However, there come some episodes of time when your eye color may have some minute-changes because of the contraction or expansion of the iris. Such a situation happens when you focus the eyes, spend time either in very bright or very dark areas and experience strong emotional changes. Likewise, your eye color may lighten with age. This is a natural process hence it shouldn’t be a cause for concern.
Changing Eye Color Temporarily
The market is packed with many different types of colored lenses that let you subtly change your eye color. You can bring changes in your eye color with some brightening hints of hues with soft prescription lenses or use an opaque lens to completely change the eye color. While wearing colored contact lenses, you can also use different shades of eyeshadow to compliment your eye color and enhance its look.
Changing Eye Color Permanently through a Surgery
As mentioned earlier, iris implant surgery is a surgical technique to offer a permanent change in your eye color. Although it is still not very common in the world, many people seeking cosmetic changes find it a perfect way to look different.
Despite the popularity, an iris implant for eye color change involves many risks, such as eye inflammation, swelling or injury to cornea, glaucoma, cataracts, partial vision loss or blindness.
Types of Eye Color Surgery
An eye color surgery has two major types though none of them has been approved in the USA. These include the following:
Iris Implant Surgery
Cosmetic iris implant surgery involves an incision in the cornea and the placement of an artificial silicon-based iris over the location of the natural iris. The surgeon unfolds the silicon device in the eye to cover the iris part, underneath the cornea to hold it in place.
Eye Color Laser Surgery
This is another type of eye color surgery and is still in clinical trials. Theoretically, this procedure makes use of a low-energy laser to eliminate brown shade to make the eye color blue. While the procedure doesn’t take too long to complete, the body will need several weeks to get rid of the disrupted tissue. Like iris implant, eye color laser surgery hasn’t received approval from the Food and Drug Administration, USA.
Do These Surgical Methods Change Your Natural Eye Color?
It is not unnatural for eye color to gradually change a little bit throughout your lifespan. However, a sudden change in the iris color can be a sign of a medical emergency and needs immediate professional help.
The iris implant doesn’t change your iris color. Instead, it blocks it with an artificial iris device made in a lighter tint than your eye color. Factually, this technique changes what others see of your eye color. The laser procedure, on the other hand, will permanently change your eye color to blue. Unlike the iris implant, laser iris technique has not known complications because of still being under clinical trials.
What is the Alternative to Eye Color Surgery?
Although eye surgery seems to be popular among celebrities, most experts believe that a surgical procedure isn’t a viable option to change your natural eye color because of the associated risks. Working with an experienced optometrist for fitted color-changing contact lenses is a good idea to get the beauty of the eyes you desire. Make sure you work with a professional healthcare practitioner rather than buying contact lenses from online or physical cosmetic outlets.
The Bottom Line
Cosmetic iris implant or eye color laser surgery is a controversial method that medical researchers need to scrutinize fully. So far, there is no established evidence to prove that the procedure is safely effective. Another controversial aspect of this type of surgery is the use of a low-energy laser which tends to be unsafe for the eyes when used for cosmetic reasons. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, a cosmetic iris implant can lead to severe eye risks and complications. While the surgery is getting the attention of celebrities, you shouldn’t compromise on the safety of your eyes. Instead, you can consult with an optometrist for getting fitted color-changing contact lenses.
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