Eye-popping risks: what you should know about cosmetic eye colour surgery

SCROLLED through TikTok or Instagram lately? You might have spotted someone showing off brand-new ocean-blue eyes — except they weren't born that way.

- VUYILE MADWANTSI

The trend of changing your eye colour permanently through cosmetic surgery is gaining clicks, shares and a hefty dose of controversy. But what's really behind these dreamy peepers? And at what cost?

Let's break it down: for decades, people have turned to coloured contact lenses to switch up their look safely.

Marilyn Monroe is rumoured to have worn them back in the 1950s!

But in our age of instant transformations, some are ditching contacts for more drastic, permanent solutions like iris implants, laser depigmentation, or keratopigmentation procedures that claim to give you the eyes you've always dreamed of, for life.

Sounds tempting? Here's why experts say: Not so fast.

The science of eye colour

Your eye colour is determined by melanin, the same pigment that affects your hair and skin. For most people, the shade you're born with is the one you'll keep, though it might get lighter with age. Sudden changes in just one eye, however, can be a red flag.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), conditions like Fuchs' uveitis syndrome, pigment dispersion syndrome, or even using prostaglandin eye drops for glaucoma can darken or alter your iris.

If you're just in it for the look, coloured contacts remain the safest bet.