Is Changing Your Eye Color Worth Going Blind?

On TikTok, temporary beauty trends often lead to permanently altered faces — and in the sea of buzzy cosmetic treatments, eye color surgery is the latest to flood our feeds. The procedure, which is known as keratopigmentation, is often used to create an artificial iris for patients born without one. But, as body modification surges in popularity, the procedure has become into yet another way for the beauty treatment-obsessed to further modify their looks.

One eye surgeon shared the results of eye color surgeries conducted at his office in Beverly Hills — with some videos amassing over 17 million views. In the videos, the doctor records his patients' first reactions to the dramatic results. "Is this permanent?" one patient asked after undergoing the procedure.

@brianboxerwachlermd Beautiful Honey Gold eyes! The ColorEyes procedure has a 16-year track record of overall high safety (if it wasn’t safe then I wouldn’t be performing it). It is not an implant but uses specialized ink made for the cornea to change eye color in 15-20 minutes per eye. There are different levels of intensity - low, medium, or high. It’s an easy trip to our Beverly Hills office to have the eye color you’ve always wanted. More information at MyColorEyes.com #coloreyes #keratopigmentation #eyecolor #eyecolorchange #flaak ♬ original sound - Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler, MD

While the results are indeed permanent, eye doctors warn that the damage caused by the procedure can also be lifelong. Because of this, a multitude of doctors regard eye color surgery as unsafe. Additionally, board-certified ophthalmologist Dr. Diane Hilal Campo says the procedure is not approved by the FDA for cosmetic use. "Extensive, well-run prospective clinical trials are necessary to really quantify the risks of complications. Until these exact numbers are known, I do not recommend the procedure," she tells Hypebae.

Dr. Hilal Campo goes on to explain that rather than directly changing the pigmentation of the iris, the procedure places pigment into the cornea above the iris — which has been known to lead to cornea damage and even blindness. Furthermore, the American Academy of Ophthalmology strongly advises against receiving the procedure strictly for cosmetic purposes. 

@brianboxerwachlermd Beautiful Emerald Green eyes! ColorEyes is quick and life-changing for so many people, to at last have rhe color they always wanted. We can titrate desired intensity levels of each color: 1) low intensity - more subtle, 2) medium intensity - moderate effect, or 3) high intensity - high impact. The procedure is overall very safe, sometimes scratchiness or light sensitivity that usually goes away after a couple of days (if even experienced at all). No infections have occured in past 16 years. This procedure involves placing the desired ink under the surface of the cornea. This isn’t iris implants that can have complications. I’m a cornea surgeon for the 27 years I would not perform iris implants. ColorEyes keratopigmentation is the only eye color change procedure that I am comfortable performing because of its high safety record. More info at MyColorEyes.com #coloreyes #eyecolor #keratopigmentation #eyecolorchange #flaak ♬ Espresso - Sabrina Carpenter

Similarly, Dr. Alex Martin, the Chief Medical Officer of Eyebot, also considers the surgery to be unsafe. He finds that the iris and cornea are not able to tolerate foreign materials, and even though procedures like the ones on TikTok claim to be "minimally invasive," the complications can still be severe and irreversible. 

Additionally, Dr. Martin warns that social media's obsession with cosmetic procedures can lead to misinformation about hazardous medical practices. While treatments like lip filler and botox can temporarily change the face, altering your eye color isn't as straightforward. "The eyes are very different from skin or hair. They are not just a cosmetic feature — they are complex organs that allow us to see. Even small alterations can have major consequences for vision and eye health," he says.

Beyond that, both doctors maintain that changing your eye color is never worth permanently damaging your eyesight. Particularly, Dr. Martin wants followers of the trend to know that preserving healthy vision should always come before a cosmetic change. "Any color eye that sees well is much more beautiful than one that cannot," Dr. Hilal Campo echoes.

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