Keratopigmentation is causing a stir on TikTok

The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) has warned that keratopigmentation, a cosmetic procedure to change a patient’s eye colour by ‘tattooing’ the iris, carries serious risks including cataract, elevated IOP leading to glaucoma, corneal damage leading to vision loss, and infection. Other concerns include light sensitivity, plus leakage of, and allergic reactions to, the dye.

US online retailer Overnight Glasses claims its research showed eye-colour-change surgery (including keratopigmentation, cosmetic iris implants and laser pigment removal) topped its list of most dangerous cosmetic procedures, with a complication rate of 92.3%.

However, New York-based ophthalmologist Dr Alexander Movshovich told CNN Health that, having performed his own version of keratopigmentation on more than 1,000 patients, none of them has reported serious problems related to the procedure. Dr Movshovich said he developed a surgical instrument that creates a tiny channel in the cornea for pigment injection, which he said he closes at the end of the procedure.

Keratopigmentation has been popular in parts of Europe for over a decade, but has recently taken off in the US, thanks to patients sharing their new eye colours on social media, according to CNN Health. The hashtag #keratopigmentation appears on 571 TikTok posts.