Teens are wearing illegal “circle lenses,” which might damage the eyes
Young women and teenagers are embracing a new big-eyed look that could be endangering their eyes, the New York Times reports. Coloured contacts, called circle lenses, are an emerging craze that make the eyes look bigger because they cover the iris (like normal lenses), and also part of the whites of the eyes. Lady Gaga’s popular “Bad Romance” video, in which she has larger-than-life eyes, might be spurring the craze, and has inspired YouTube videos on how to copy the look. Still, it’s illegal in the US to sell any contact lenses without a prescription, and no major contact lens manufacturer in the US sells circle lenses, but they’re widely available online for $30 or less, even in prescription strength. Circle lenses are already mainstream in some Asian countries, and are now popping up everywhere in the U.S. Optometrist Dr. S. Barry Eiden told the newspaper that ill-fitting contact lenses can deprive the eye of oxygen, leading to serious vision problems.