How far would you go for a pair of baby blue eyes? A laser procedure that turns brown eyes blue is in development by Stroma Medical (Freeman). The method uses a specialized laser that destroys the natural brown pigment melanin in the iris. The melanin pigment within the iris is responsible for the visual human eye colouration with complex patterns (Sturm & Larsson, 544). The laser treatment is expected to only take 20 seconds—while the color change is gradual throughout the following two to three weeks.
The iris is a small connective tissue and muscular structure with an opening in the center known as the pupil (Sturm & Larsson, 544). The iris controls the amount of light entering the eye which is focused by the lens onto the retina. Contraction occurs in the event of bright light making the pupil smaller whereas dilation occurs in dark light making the pupil larger. In the brown iris, there is a large amount of melanocytes and melanin in the anterior border layer and stroma (Sturm & Larsson, 544). In comparison, these layers in the blue iris contain very little melanin (Sturm & Larsson, 544). Dr. Gregg Homer of Stroma Medical, in California
Dr. Elmer Tu, an associate professor of clinical ophthalmology at the University of Illinois and spokesman for the American College
Nineteen million people wear colored contact lenses (Freeman). Contact lenses also have risks like infection. Obviously, this group of individuals is the target for the success of this treatment. The laser technique claims to have a year of testing and reports to be available outside the U.S. in 18 months and in the U.S.
Recently, Lasik surgery has become very common. This is a type of refractive surgery that corrects vision by remodeling the cornea of the eye with a laser. This popular procedure does have major risks and more people continue to pay for the procedure. Does this corrected vision laser surgery share the same importance as the laser treatment changing brown eyes blue? Will the change in eye color procedure become as popular as Lasik surgery?
Freeman, David. “Laser procedure turns brown eyes blue, scientist says,” CBS News, November 2, 2011. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20129249-10391704/laser-procedure-turns-brown-eyes-blue-scientist-says/.
Niyadurupola, Nuwan & David C. Broadway. Pigment dispersion syndrome and pigmentary glaucoma. Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology, 36, December 1, 2008: Pages 868-882.
Sturm, Richard A. & Mats Larsson. Genetics of human iris colour and patterns. Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research, 22, July 6, 2009: Pages 554-562.
This laser procedure to turn brown eyes blue poses a very large health threat with the potential of blindness. This seems a high price to pay for a very cosmetic procedure. It seems that much more research needs to be done to insure the long term safety of the procedure before it is carried out.
ReplyDeleteThis brought to mind for the me the idea of designer babies. Is it ethically sound for a parent to design the sex, eye color, ect of their child before it is even an embryo? Or after a child is born to have this procedure done to change their eye color? Is science allowing us to play God and how far will it go?
With regard to health, blue pigmentation has no benefit over brown. In fact, according to the American Cancer Society, blue-eyed individuals are at an increased risk for intraocular melanoma. So what’s the point in making our eyes blue? Because blue eyes are “prettier”. Blue eyes, statistically speaking, are preferred in both men and women (Etcoff, 1999). With regards to sexual selection and mate preference, this may be important. “Runaway traits” are those characteristics that were chosen arbitrarily by a potential mate; this preference gradually increased over generations and ultimately created the beauty standards we have today (Fisher, 1930). It should be noted too, however, that if blue eyes were overly disadvantageous, rendering species to die or be unable to reproduce, natural selection would ultimately ‘filter’ it out.
ReplyDeleteBut this desire for blue eyes says a great deal more about our cultural standards of beauty. I am half Japanese, and when I visited Tokyo in 2008, I was shocked at the number of girls wearing colored contacts. In a culture of black-haired, brown-eyed people, why would blue eyes be desirable? A lot of it has to do with self-contempt regarding race. Unattainable features – like blue eyes for Asians or African-Americans – create an environment of hatred and disgust. The Japanese gene pool does not carry many light features: yet the ideal Japanese woman has fair, clear skin, light eyes, and shiny, light hair. The media is constantly reminding us, through billboards, magazine covers, advertisements, commercials, etc., that we aren’t good enough. Whether it’s because of our race, gender, or age, we are never allowed to be truly ‘beautiful’.
The kinds of procedures driving us further away from reality – including the one described in this post - only allow these ideals to continually generate and thrive. Think about who is reaping the financial benefits of our purchasing these kinds of treatments. (Let me give you a hint – it’s the same companies telling us how ‘ugly’ we are.) We need to get over the self-hatred of our bodies and embrace the beautiful features we have – no surgery required.
(If this is a topic that interests you, I’m writing my thesis about beauty standards, analyzing whether they come from sexual selection and mate choice or from cultural notions. I’ll be defending it in the spring – come listen!)
References:
Etcoff, N. L. (1999). Survival of the prettiest. New York: Radom House.
Eye Cancer Risk Factors. Retrieved from: http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/EyeCancer
/DetailedGuide/eye-cancer-risk-factors
Fisher, R.A. (1915). The evolution of sexual preference. Eugenics Review, 7, 184-192.