Lady Gaga's Large Eyes in Music Video 'Bad Romance' May Encourage Viewers to Purchase 'Circle' Contact Lenses

On July 6 of this year, ABC.com released an article titled "Eye-popping new fashion trend could carry dangers, Doc's say latest Lady Gaga-Inspired Fashion Trend Not FDA Approved." The authors, JuJu Chang, Chris Strathmann, and Sabrina Parise, state pop star Lady Gaga could be a link to the rise in "circle" contact lens purchases.

The editorial discusses the musician's video for "Bad Romance." It is in this particular video that her pupils are digitally modified to appear much larger than average size. Her unique look could encourage viewers to recreate the image. Therefore, teenagers and young adults may turn to circle contacts, because they make the pupil look larger by covering a portion of the sclera.

Where can you purchase a pair?

Daily news staff writer for the NYDailyNews.com, Rosemary Black, states in her article "Girls clamor for 'circle' contact lenses inspired by Lady Gaga, but they're risky and illegal," that the contacts are currently being sold illicitly over the Internet to U.S. consumers.

Black further explains that, according to the U.S. government, contact lenses (CL) must be sold with a prescription, and, since manufactures are not allowed to make the product because it is not FDA approved, they are being dispensed unlawfully.

But, this doesn't stop consumers from buying them. It's estimated that a YouTube video by a woman named Michelle Phan, who demonstrated how to put in the contacts, was viewed a whopping 9.4 million times.

Are they safe to wear?

Of course not. Any CL sold without a prescription can cause harm to the eyes. The eyes must be measured to ensure a proper fit. Poor-fitting contact lenses potentially cause damage to the eyes by depriving oxygen or scratching the cornea. According to the Mayo Clinic, a scratched cornea is another term for a corneal abrasion. A corneal abrasion can be painful and may lead to more serious complication, such as a corneal ulcer.

In my opinion, these contact lenses are not worth the risk, and could possibly damage your eyes.

References for this article include:

www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/fashion/2010/07/07/2010-07-07_girls_clamor_for_circle_contact_lenses_inspired_by_lady_gaga_but_theyre_risky_an.html

abcnews.go.com/GMA/circle-lenses-dangerous-docs/story

www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-corneal-abrasion/FA00037