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Don't It Turn Your Brown Eyes Blue: Laser Procedure Can Permanently Make the Switch For You
Extreme eye closeup photo via Shutterstock
When it comes to changing the color of your eyes, those colored contact lenses are child's play compared to what one Laguna Beach firm says they can do. A process called Lumineyes uses a laser to permanently turn brown eyes blue. Is this the next wave of vanity surgery?
Lumineyes is the work of Stroma Medical, and CEO Doug Daniels and "former entertainment lawyer turned Stanford University law professor" Greg Homer.
Here's how it works, explains KTLA:
When laser energy is absorbed by the eye's brown pigment, Homer says the pigment tissue changes and then the body sheds the altered tissue, changing brown eyes to blue within two to three weeks. The brown tissue never regenerates.
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Research conducted by Stroma found that 55% of Americans (and a whopping 80% of humans world-wide) have dark eyes. Two separate surveys revealed that 17% of dark-eyed people said they'd go for a medical switch to blue if the procedure were "safe and effective." Stroma's research also indicated there are 8 million potential patients per year who would be able to buck up for the surgery.
Far more people with dark eyes who want blue ones than the reverse, their research uncovered. And speaking of the reverse, as in turning those blue eyes brown, well, sorry, the laser can't do that.
What would motivate someone with brown eyes to have them permanently altered by medical science to be blue? In this day and age, do we still as a society revere blue eyes as a part of the (sorry, it has to be said) ideal combo with Nordic blonde hair?
Homer gave a more philosophical answer: "They eyes are the windows to the soul. A blue eye is not opaque, you can see deeply into it, and a brown eye is very opaque. I think there is something very meaningful about this idea of having open windows to the soul."
If you're looking to make your brown eyes into scientifically modified windows to your soul, you'll probably have to wait about three years for the procedure to be available in the U.S., which gives you plenty of time to sock away the $5,000 the laser surgery will likely cost.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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