A Fad Gone Too Far

I am not a fan of tattoos. Not that I think tattoo-wearing people are bad or creepy. I just do not like tattoos. They're too permanent for me. I also sound too much like an old lady when I think to myself: "Self -- what the hell is that going to look like when you're 85 years old. Fer cryin' out loud!" I know, I know -- you get the tattoo and enjoy it now and not worry about farther down the road.

Another factor for me is that tattoos are now too mainstream -- practically everyone has one. I guess I have my own form of 'counterculture', because I don't like doing what everyone else is.

But, I must say the tattoo craze has gone too far! FoxNews cites a New York Post article about the latest fad: tattooing your eyeball!!! Can I get a collective "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!" (Sources: here and here) The tattoo is done to turn the white of the eye to blue.

If a doctor does it, it's called a corneal tattoo and is done for cases such as a corneal scar or a leucoma - an opaque blemish, usually white in color. The procedure helps return the eye's appearance to one that is more normal.

To tattoo the eyes, originally a traditional needle with ink on it was used; but, when the ink didn't hold, they switched to a syringe that injected ink into the eye. Some who have had this done report that the procedure went well, with one reporting that it felt like he had something in his eye.

"It's quite amazing," says Lane Jensen, who saw the tattooing take place at a Canadian body-modification convention earlier this month. "Over the last couple weeks, it's flooded across the white and stained the eyeball perfectly," Jensen, who also publishes Tattoo & Piercing magazine, tells The Post. "It's trippy - and definitely starts some interesting conversations."

What do doctors say about tattooing the eye? Take a big guess!

"Cosmetic tattooing of the cornea can be extremely dangerous," advises Dr. Sandra Belmont, a clinical associate professor of ophthalmology at Weill Cornell Medical Center-New York Presbyterian Hospital. "Infection, perforation and hemorrhage are among the potential complications."

The Post article adds: "While corneal tattooing is readily available in New York City for patients, customers will have a harder time convincing a doctor to do the procedure. Jensen, the Canadian tattoo fan, says that while doctors were willing to consult on the procedure, none would actually perform it, leaving it to a tattoo artist."