'Circle' Lenses: Dangerous Fashion Trend

In the music video for her song "Bad Romance," Lady Gaga has enlarged pupils. Whether this effect was made by computer enhancement or "circle" contact lenses, circle lenses have become a huge trend.

Wearers are drawn to this bizarre look because they believe that the lenses make them look more like a Japanese anime character. The lenses also come in strange colors, such as lilac and light pink. Youtube.com has several video clips on the subject. The videos range from how to put the contacts in, what eye make compliments the lenses the best, and where to buy the lenses.

Illegal Lenses.

Circle lenses are not approved by the FDA ,and, therefore, are illegal in the United States. Sellers of the contacts use Youtube.com as a way to promote their product. Most of the vendors of the lenses are located in Asia, where the trend began. A quick Internet search will show a great plurality of dealers of these lenses.

Why are they dangerous?

Size:

The circle lenses are dangerous primarily because of the size of the lenses. They cover most of the eye, and do not allow for the eye to absorb oxygen. Because the lenses are bought online, there isn't a doctor to instruct the patient on proper care or other associated issues from wearing contact lenses.

No prescription needed:

To order these lenses, no prescription is necessary. The lenses can be ordered as non-vision-correcting lenses or in "powers" to help users improve their vision. Anyone,who has ever had contacts knows that contacts require a special exam to insure a good fit. Lenses that do not fit the eye well can cause pressure on the eye, and may cause further damage to a person's eyesight. Yearly vision checkups are important to help screen for potential problems.

Why do people wear them?

After learning about the dangers of these contacts, why would a person still choose to wear them?

My friend Harmony Kromer, a 21-year-old junior at Virginia Tech, is a fan of the lenses. Kromer has always been very fashionable and up on the latest trends. She is majoring in fashion design.

I asked her how long she had been wearing the contacts. She told me that she had been wearing them since April 2010. She said that she had seen some of the international students from China wearing them, and she liked the look.

She is a big fan of the Blythe dolls. She liked that the lenses made her eyes look like the dolls' eyes. I asked her if she wore contact lenses or glasses normally. She said no, and that she had some problems getting the lenses in her eyes when she first bought them. She had to ask a roommate for help getting the lenses in, and also how to clean and store the lenses.

Kromer likes the lenses, but she does admit that she can't wear them to school if she needs to work on the computer or do a lot of book reading. When I asked if she was concerned that she might be ruining her eyesight by wearing the contacts, she answered no, because she feels that she doesn't wear them enough to cause serious problems.