Remember how jealous you were of your girlfriend with blue eyes when you were younger? They were so pretty, while you were stuck with boring brown like almost everyone else. Well, you just might be able to get those baby blues you've always wanted sometime in the near future.
A California-based company is hoping to offer a surgery within the next few years that can permanently turn brown eyes blue. Stroma Medical Corporation has developed a "non-invasive" procedure in which a laser is used to blast the brown melanin that's present on the front layer of the iris, revealing the blue layer underneath. (Going from brown to blue will be the only option available.)
The procedure is still in preliminary studies—the company is currently conducting clinical trials here in the U.S., so it will be a few years before it's actually available. As of right now, it's only been tested on a handful of patients.
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Here's how the whole change in color thing works: We all have different eye colors because of different densities of melanin in our irises, explains Albert Pang, O.D., a board-certified optometrist in Texas. The more melanin you have, the more light it absorbs and the darker your irises appear. This laser procedure will essentially "burn out" some of the pigment, and, as a result, change the color of your eyes, he says.
"It is our intent that the procedure will be performed in the doctor's office with only a topical anesthetic and will take less than 20 seconds to complete," says the company on its website. "The permanent eye color change will occur gradually over the following two to four weeks." Oh, and it'll set you back a whopping $5,000.
Like other laser eye surgeries, you won't be able to drive or work afterward, although the company doesn't specify how long you'll be out of commission (with LASIK, you can usually get behind the wheel again the next day).
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And while Stroma claims the procedure is safe, experts aren't so sure.
"The fluid of the eye is constantly recycling," says Pang, who notes that he's concerned more about the long-term effects on your eyes, rather than any immediate damage to your sight from the laser. "Pigment removed from the iris's surface can still flow around in the fluid of the eye and eventually clog up the eye. The pressure increase in the eye will damage the optic nerve and can cause glaucoma." Yep, glaucoma—a serious condition that can ultimately lead to blindness.
There are other potential complications, too, says cornea disease expert Ivan Schwab, M.D., a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a professor at the University of California, Davis. These include eye inflammation, possible bleeding (in your eye...yikes!), and a condition called "sympathetic opthalmia." "It's theoretical, but has occurred in other similar procedures," he says. "Essentially, the body starts attacking the pigment in the eye. It's very difficult to treat, requiring immunosuppressants." He warns that patients might not see harmful effects immediately, but problems could develop 10 years post-procedure.
Bottom line: Is changing your eye color really worth possibly sacrificing your vision? Play it safe—and turning your eyes blue on Instagram is way easier, anyway.
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