Beauty is in the eye of the beholder — and the hue of that eye may no longer be unchangeable in the future. A doctor in California is working on creating the technology that would allow brown eyes to be turned blue using a laser. Dr. Gregg Homer of Stroma Medical claims that a 20-second treatment that eliminates melanin, the pigment that gives brown eyes their color, would permanently turn them blue without impairing a patient’s vision — but some people are skeptical about the necessity and vanity of such a procedure.
It is also true that all brown-eyed persons have blue pigment in their irises, according to Homer. A brief session under the guidance of a specially-tuned laser can destroy the melanin in the eye, with the change occurring gradually over the course of two weeks. The surgery will not be able to transform blue eyes into brown eyes.
Despite the fact that Homer claims there is no evidence of tissue damage as a result of the surgery, other ophthalmologists are less convinced in the technique. In an interview with CBS News, Dr. Elmer Tu, associate professor of clinical ophthalmology at the University of Illinois at Chicago and spokesman for the American College of Ophthalmology, explained that the seepage of melanin into the eye is associated with a condition known as pigmentary glaucoma, which can result in blindness. Homer anticipates that the method will be accessible outside of the United States in less than two years, and within the United States in three years, once another year of testing is completed by the company.
In the meanwhile, people desiring to alter the color of their eyes might turn to colored contacts as a temporary option. But they come with the danger of infection and can be uncomfortable, which is why Homer has been working on a more permanent alternative for the past many years.
Brown eyes are found in the majority of the world’s population, and the proportion of blue-eyed persons is falling in the United States. However, it is doubtful that the treatment will be able to reverse this trend: The treatment will be $5,000 in cost. “However, who can place a monetary value on vanity?” questions The Daily. What. Will an eye color change become the latest must-have operation in Hollywood, joining the ranks of liposuction, breast augmentation, and a nose job? Or, like in Toni Morrison’s novel “The Bluest Eye,” would the treatment instill in women new and unattainable standards of beauty that they will be unable to meet?