Many people assume that eyeball tattoos are safe because there are a lot of people who have one. Eyeball tattoos or scleral tattoos are popular in body modification. Be aware that not all pictures online are real and most of them are edited. There may be instances where you can read stories online about people who had eyeball tattoos but it went wrong. It is not a good idea to do scleral tattooing just because someone did it.
If you are considering getting a scleral tattoo, you should be aware that it will be harder for your eye doctor to examine your eye in the future even if it is done without damaging the eye. Eyeball tattoos are procedures that are not developed by a doctor. Scleral tattoos have not been scientifically or medically studied. It is important to remember that there is no formal training, licensing, or certification process for people who do scleral tattoos.
The procedure is done by injecting ink under the surface of the conjunctiva which colors the white part of the eye or the sclera. The needle should be positioned correctly because if not, the ink can be injected into the retina, the tissue inside the eye. If there is a mistake with the process, it can have lasting and terrible consequences such as pain and loss of vision.
What Are the Risks of Eyeball Tattoos?
Here are some of the risks of eyeball tattoos:
● Complete blindness
● Decreased vision
● Retinal detachment
● Eye infection
● Inflammation of the eye
● Light sensitivity
● Losing the entire eye
● Feeling like there is a foreign object in your eye all the time
A case where the vision was permanently damaged due to a scleral tattoo was popular on Facebook in September 2017. According to the post, the person who performed her scleral tattoo made a lot of mistakes which left her with reduced vision, clumps of tattoo ink in the cornea, and pain.
Another case in 2017, where a 24-year-old man experienced a painful loss of vision while the ink was injected into the eye. Surgeries and procedures were done to control the complications and infection from the procedure. The entire eye had to be removed because the pain was too much for the young man. It was found that the retina and the inside of the eye were stained with ink.
What Is a Safer Way to Change the Appearance of Eyes?
If you want to change the appearance of your eyes, visit your ophthalmologist for a prescription for costume contact lenses. It is tempting to buy colored contact lenses from online or costume shops. It is important to get a prescription and use contacts that are fitted to your eyes. Blinding eye problems can occur by using contaminated, counterfeit, or ill-fitting lenses.
