US eye experts are concerned that Lady Gaga fans may be inadvertently doing themselves harm by rushing out to buy potentially dangerous new types of decorative contact lenses known as circle lenses to mimick the wide-eyed doll look the rock star portrays in her video “Bad Romance”.
Circle lenses are colored contact lenses that make the colored part of the eye appear larger because they cover not only the pupil and iris but also some of the white part of the eye.
The lenses are available in unusual colors and appear to be increasingly popular among among teenagers and young adults; they can be bought without a prescription, even though they are illegal in the US.
Last week, the American Academy of Ophthalmology issued a press alert to consumers about the dangers of buying any type of decorative contact lenses, including circle lenses, without a prescription.
“Any type of contact lens is a medical device that requires a prescription, proper fitting by an eye care professional and a commitment to proper care by the consumer,” said the press statement.
If not fitted properly, contact lenses bought over the counter can cause pain and inflammation, and lead to more serious conditions like corneal abrasion and infections that cause blindness.
In 2005, a new federal law classified all contacts lenses as medical devices and restricted their distribution to licensed eye care professionals; however, some places still sell non-prescription cosmetic lenses, and they are not difficult to buy over the internet.
Unfortunately, many of her young fans may not realize that it will not be easy to achieve the exact look that Lady Gaga portrays in her video, because her big doe-like eyes are mostly computer enhanced, despite the fact that make-up artist Michelle Pham has made a YouTube video showing how to replicate the effect using circle lenses.
Lady Gaga is not the first to use circle lenses to achieve an eye-changing effect for show business: pop stars in Korea have been using them for years. Most circle lenses bought in the US are manufactured in Asia, reports CBS Evening News.
A teenager told the news channel she had bought 14 pairs of the lenses over the last three years. She said she bought them for fun and because they made her “look interesting”, and for her, they were just another fashion accessory.
But Dr S Barry Eiden, the Chair of the Contact Lens and Cornea Section of the American Optometric Association, said doctors are worried about the lack of quality control:
“We have no control of where they’re manufactured, what their processes are and they’re not being fit and appropriately medically cared for by licensed eye doctors,” he told CBS, adding that there was nothing wrong with wanting to change one’s eye color, but advised people to do it safely, under the guidance of licensed professionals.
Sources: American Academy of Ophthalmology, About.com:Pediatrics, Time Newsfeed, CBS Evening News.
Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD