More people are permanently changing their eye color. How risky is it?
Using lasers, doctors can alter cornea pigments. The FDA doesn't regulate this growing practice — is it worth it?
By Elizabeth Hlavinka
Staff Writer
Published May 4, 2025 5:30AM (EDT)
When CassieAnn learned there was a procedure that could permanently change the color of her eyes, she decided to fly to New York City to get it done. She had always wanted blue eyes and had been wearing colored contact lenses to change her appearance for years.
"I always wanted to have a little bit of change when it comes to the eyes," CassieAnn, who is using her first name only for privacy reasons, told Salon in a phone interview. "For people that are family, or a significant other, I didn't want to have to take my contacts out and then look different."
Although it has been referred to as "eye tattooing," doctors performing it said that the procedure is more like popular corrective surgeries like laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) or small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE). These surgeries improve vision, however — they aren't cosmetic.
Keratopigmentation is not to be confused with scleral tattooing, which involves tattooing the white part of the eye and carries a risk for infection and vision loss. Other procedures like laser depigmentation and iris implants have also been used to change the eye color, but may result in corneal damage or vision loss as well. These procedures also carry a risk of glaucoma and cataracts.
More:
https://www.salon.com/2025/05/04/more-people-are-permanently-changing-their-eye-color-how-risky-is-it/
= new reply since forum marked as read
Not jeopardizing my sight for a color.
That would be pretty cool looking. Halloween every day. 
