We all know a lot about eyes and their effects. Considered as the window of soul, it is generally considered as the most attractive facial feature and so to be a key attractive feature.
It is generally well known that bright eyes are considered as more attractive than other types of eyes. Less than a fourth of the world population has bright eyes and most movie stars have this feature.
Eye color is not all and we know that it does not reflect one’s personality but based on all positive comments from women and men that have done the right eye color change procedure we are confident to say it is something that has changed (easily) their life.
Some don’t feel comfortable or attractive with their eyes color and may want to change the color of their eyes. Eyes color is coming from your irises and there are many different colors in nature. In some rare cases your eyes’color can naturally change but this is only because of medical conditions or environment’s changes.
The pigments of your eyes can change because of an inflammation, a trauma or a depigmentation or because of your lifestyle. Sun exposure, melanin rate changes or food can be affect the very color of your irises but this is barely noticeable and only a reliable eye color change surgery shall be envisaged to permanently and “naturally” change your eyes’ color.
Eye color change procedures exist since ever and are mastered since twenty years more or less. It is only since one of the eye color change procedure technique has been really mastered recently that it is plainly available as cosmetic procedure.
The mastered technique that we will detail is provided only by few experts in the world. Therefore the procedure is not exactly classified into a specific medical category.
It would make sense to list is as a procedure in the plastic or cosmetic category. Others will say it is a purely procedure that belongs to ophthalmology.
As market evolves rapidly it is fair to say that so far it is a procedure that belongs to ophthalmology. As many procedures can be provided for medical purposes and in the same time for cosmetic purposes it is fair to say this is an ophthalmology surgery for cosmetic purposes.
The thing is that plastic surgeons are trained and used to work as surgeons for body or face procedures involving fat removal, lipofilling, nose surgery etc. but not that type of procedure. It is deemed to be an hybrid procedure so a face plastic surgery procedure but provided by ophthalmologists.
It happens from time to time with the development of technology and market needs that some surgeons specialized in one medical category develop a new expertise in their field. For instance dermatologists face every day a huge demand in terms of skin whitening and they are not properly trained for that. This matter because some say they are not trained or they don’t want to be involved into comfort treatment that have nothing to do with their work.
This matters because you have to be an ophthalmologist to master the eye color change procedures and demand will probably come from plastic surgeons. The market evolving fast in 2024 we think that collaborations between dedicated ophthalmologists and plastic surgery clinics will be one way to spread the techniques.
The other limitation is the technology. Especially with keratopigmentation that is a key eye color change procedure what matters is the technology used and the experience of the surgeon that will use it. The access to the technology is still limited in 2024 in terms of cost and quality of technology so the right surgeons and clinics will be limited in the near future.
As most surgery procedures a technique has been developed to repair a trauma, an injury and then later on one realized that it could be used for cosmetic reasons. That is why eye color change techniques are available in many clinics throughout the world but only for medical reasons and not cosmetic reasons.
You may find it available in most countries and clinic, either in special eye clinics or ophthalmology departments of large clinics in some countries but you have to know if it available for aesthetic reasons.
What are the main tricks to know to find the right eye color change surgery?:
- donnot consider iris transplant procedure
- donnot the so called eye color change procedure that uses a laser to depigment your eyes instead of pigmenting them
- focus on what is a real laser used for keratopigmentation: a femtosecond laser that enables to create a path to inser pigments
- check if the clinic provides a certified keratopigmentation using local FDA approved medical grade pigments
- ask the brand of the laser used and same for the pigments
On a case by case you have to enquire what eye color change procedure can be performed and if it is available for you should you wish to change your eyes ‘color for cosmetic purposes.
Some eye color change procedures exist since very long but this is only thanks to the development of surgery and what goes with it that we have seen real progresses. Lenses, eye implants, lasers or reliable pigments are somehow available since less than 10 years.
What are the different eyes color change techniques? It depends of your goals. It depends if you want a temporary change, it depends what are your current eyes color, what new eyes color you would like, what type of technique you envisage.
You may want to have a temporary eye color change and choose colored eye contact lenses or you may want to have a different color simulation and so choose to have an ophthalmologist consultation providing Keratopigmentation.
You may want to avoid any invasive procedure and so avoid artificial iris transplantation. You may need to have a eye surgery procedure and in the contrary take the opportunity to have at the same time an artificial iris transplant procedure.
You may want to have a lighter eye color from your brown eye and only remove the brown color and see what nature will reveal and so have a light blue or light green with eye color change procedure using laser.
You may want to have uncommon colors and have the choice among a large range of colors and so choose keratopimentation.
► read about the available eye color change procedures in main clinics of world, their benefits, risks, costs and results
► find out what is the best eye color procedure in terms of safety, results and cost
This procedure is not new. It aims to change your iris color. Your eye color is determined by your iris that is a ring of fibers behind the cornea.
The procedure is a transplantation of an artificial iris. The artificial iris is made of silicon and transplanted under local anesthesia to cover the natural iris.
As often this type of procedure was developed to repair a damaged part of the body and was turned later into a plastic surgery procedure. Some people don’t have a normal iris because of some conditions such as aniridia. Others have a traumatic injury to their eye that need to be treated.
The iris implant surgery is often done with a lens implant surgery, sometimes a corneal transplant and quite often with a cataract procedure when strongly advised by surgeons and not for cosmetic reasons.
Iris transplantation can be a solution in those cases but due to the sensitivity of this part of the face and the technicity it is far from being an easy going procedure. This procedure is advised only in some specific cases according to most ophthalmologists. If the procedure is still available in some clinics and in some countries it is more an more difficult to find it, especially with the development of more reliable procedures.
The procedure does not seem very safe as some ophthalmologist say. Though it is the same technique as the one used for cataract procedure many cases with complications occurred. It seems most complications occurred for those who decided to have the procedure for aesthetic reasons. There are different types of risks but the main obvious one is to affect your own vision.
Some reported to have lost much of their vision, others a reduced vision or even injury to the cornea. Others reported to have suffered in the eye area because of pain coming from an inflammation of the cornea.
In some cases some patients had to envisage a reversal procedure when possible. Having such transplant procedure is already a risk but having a second one to reverse it is also an additional risk. In 2024 we have noticed that the artificial iris transplant procedure is less and less available as plastic surgery procedure.
Though patients most of the time want to have an informed choice and are aware that is a forbidden procedure in countries such as Europe, USA with the FDA they now focus on new techniques as many really want to change their eye color.
It is strongly advised to read a lot about eye color change procedures and have an informed choice. Whatever is your level of decision you shall have an ophthalmologist consultation before undergoing any eye color change procedure. You will note that in practice whatever technique you choose when you decide to change your eye color, a consultation with an ophthalmologist before having the surgery is always mandatory.
The usual eye color change procedure protocol requires first an ophthalmologist consultation, then eye lab tests, then anesthesiologist consultation and only after that you can start the surgery. For planning reasons most of the time future patients travel from abroad to have the procedure done and plan to have the 4 steps in a row but a serious eye color change procedure clinic shall stop the planned surgery if for any reasons the future patient at the last moment does not want to go on with the procedure.
It goes without saying that any medical reasons preventing the future patient from having the eye color change procedure shall be an immediate reason to stop the process.
You shall check before undergoing any eye color change procedure the following 7 steps check list :
Check if an ophthalmologist consultation will come first before any anesthesiologist consultation or any other surgery team consultation
Check if the ophthalmologist will or not be your eye color change procedure surgeon
Ask the medical team for any record, before after photo and explanations of the procedure
Provide your full medical history and especially your eyes medical history
Provide some medical file or medical opinion before have the consultation in order to check if you are a potential eye color change procedure candidate
Check and read about the procedure and its various techniques
Prepare your questions about your exact goal, your concerns, ask about potential complications, can it be reversed etc.
So this outpatient procedure is recommended in some cases and not others.
A prosthetic iris implant transplantation is risky and therefore not recommended at all in some cases.
As mentioned the iris implant procedure is recommend in some cases and contraindicated in others.
In general it is recommended to perform an artificial iris implant surgery if you don’t have a clear lens or focus.
It might also be an additional procedure after a cataract surgery for instance and is often done at the same time.
First it is in general not advised at all when for comfort or aesthetic reasons, only a medical reason shall trigger the need of such procedure. You will note that thanks to new technique such as keratopigmentation technique anyone can now undergo an eye color change procedure that is reliable and effective.
As mentioned in many cases transplanting an artificial iris may be recommended because of various medical reasons far away from purely comfort or cosmetic reasons.
Some may need to repair their iris because of injury, illnesses or genetic reasons. The main goal being to improve your vision.
The implants have started to appear in some European countries and in USA in the 50s but were really developed in the 70s with different types of implant with various shades of color, iris lens diaphragm and even some customized iris.
How works the iris and what is it for? The iris is a ring of muscle fibers in different colors. Though we can define some standard colors, in really there are thousands of different ones and an artificial iris implant may not exactly restore your original color. Apart from providing color the iris changes permanently by expanding or contracting and so change pupil size according to the intensity of light front of your eye. This will help your vision to be adapted to the environment front of you and provide the focus process.
These functions will help your vision and any trauma or defect will then affect your vision and so you may need artificial iris implants.
What are the main reasons I shall undergo an artificial iris eye change color procedure?
You may need to improve your vision with such procedure in the following cases:
Surgical iris loss
An atrophy in your irises due to herpes outbreak
A defect due to an accident or a surgery
Any depigmentation of your irises due to genetic conditions or other circumstances
An iris coloboma that can be problematic in some cases
If I am a good candidate for iris transplantation then what shall I do?
You may not have an artificial iris transplantation with doing intensive tests. You need a deep eye examination that will test your refraction, test your intraocular pressure, a standard visual acuity test, a, ophthalmoscopy of your retina.
You shall also undergo a specular microscopy but also a gonioscopy. The corneal diameter but also the anterior chamber depth shall be measured.
Your ophthalmologist or eye clinic shall double check the exact iris color, understand your full medical history with a medical questionnaire and determine what potential diseases or medication may affect your irises.
As mentioned before this procedure is not advised by most Drugs Administration and techniques have evolved with time. In the case of USA, though forbidden by the FDA the procedure was agreed on a case by case basis only for medical reasons.
Those who wanted and still want to have an iris artificial transplant procedure in order to change their eye color can still travel to some countries where it is not ban. You may find it most of the time in Asia or South America. But now this procedure is about to be downsized because more reliable and efficient procedures have emerged.
The artificial iris implant procedure has also improved with the development of a new type of implant in 2018. Provided by HumanOptics heathcare manufacturer, a new iris implant has been approved by the American FDA and therefore facilitated the procedure’s acceptance.
But though approved by some Drug Administrations, the artificial iris implant procedure requires a long checklist as above mentioned and a strict protocol.
Again you have to accept the procedure only if you have an informed choice and compare existing techniques. All of this being to avoid complications and potential blindness.
First you will not find an eye clinic that performs such procedure down your street. You may do all lab tests, find the right ophthalmologist that will become your surgeon.
Once you have followed the check list, you shall schedule your own budget as most of the time it is a self-payer procedure.
The protocol requires to be cautious in the next following days of the procedure and avoid light in general. It might be that for few days your vision will be altered especially if you have a lot of light around you. You shall then avoid sun exposure for several weeks. Your surgeon will advise you in some cases some painkillers and special drops.
How much does the artificial iris implantation procedure costs? It is difficult to answer as most Drugs Authorities ban the procedure unless the one under FDA's approval. Additioning the consultation and post op consultations and corrective surgeries it is above 16,000 $ in 2023.
Now, especially in 2023, you have the choice to choose a safer and non-forbidden eye color change procedure.
Many that have avoid to do a permanent iris change with an artificial implant have tried color contact lenses.
Since the very beginning of contact lenses, colors have been a key element for their users. Eye contact lenses can be used as contact lenses to correct your vision or as colored lenses for cosmetic purposes or both.
If you need to have a better vision and wear contact lenses, why not taking the opportunity to change your eye color?
Colored contact lenses also known as decorative, costume lenses can change your eye’s color or pupil with or without vision correction.
As often each medical regulation is different from one country to another. Therefore some bypass regulations and avoid reading safety instruction and mandatory prescription. In many countries the use of colored contact lenses require a medical prescription.
You must have a consultation with an ophthalmologist in order to be prescribed colored contact lenses in most Asian countries, Middle East, USA, Europe etc.
Colored contact lenses are deemed to be medical devises in most regulations and therefore trigger the medical advise of healthcare providers. It is not a simple formality the risk being eye infection, vision issues and even worse.
Your ophthalmologist will check if the lenses may fit your eyes, measure the size, check the components and understand your motivations.
Colored lenses are always sold with medical notes and a clear explanation about the mandatory prescription but one not always know in advance it is mandatory. Normally healthcare providers shall provide the future users with the device only upon a real prescription but you may find online dealers and other ways to bypass most regulations.
It is then clearly recommended to avoid skipping this step and apply regulations for your own safety.
Online sellers have found another way to sell them and only offer Drug Administrations approved contact lenses as the FDA does.
How much do colored eye color lenses cost compared to artificial iris transplant? Their is no comparison between this temporary (medical) device and a procedure but as for lenses it will depend of the brand, the scarcity of the color, where it is made, how compliant it is to various medical regulations. You have to add the consultation price each time but it is a question of hundreds of dollars maximum.
It is also unfortunately possible to find, mainly online, some sellers that mention that a prescription is not necessary. These comments are non-compliant and fraudulent.
One of the risk of having colored contact lenses without prescription is to have the wrong type of lenses with the wrong size that will not somehow fit your eyes.
There are numerous ophthalmologist reports that mention serious injuries and troubles caused by non-prescribed colored contact lenses.
The lack of light and oxygen through this type of lenses can be a real issue and only your ophthalmologist can provide you with the green light or not.
In case of non-compliant lenses or lenses used without prescription some eye surgery can be necessary in some cases such as corneal transplant.
The US regulation is rather strict and forbids any allegedly healthcare provider to sell contact lenses without prescription since 2005 with civil penalties up to 16,000 $. Unfortunately many countries are less strict and some even have no regulation about it.
Even though you have a prescription you cannot wear colored contact lenses so easily. You have to follow the manufacturer’s and your ophthalmologist instructions. Safety instructions are very strict about components, genuine and non-counterfeit devices but also packaging. You cannot or one cannot open the lenses and repack them and wear them if already used by someone else.
You shall also double check the components, the brand, measurement (as prescribed by your ophthalmologist), the expiration date, disinfection instructions, the brand etc.
It goes without saying but it is always good to remember it that any discomfort, even if you are in the middle of an Halloween party!, shall ring you immediately a bell and you shall stop wearing them immediately.
It can be a general discomfort but also sometimes pain felt, discharge, red eyes, small infections.
Once you have your prescription you can pick up your favorite color to change (temporarily) your eyes color.
You can opt for dark lenses that will often give the impression of a lighter shade of color. Other colored lenses are made for light-colored eyes such as bright blue, light or dark green. It will not change exactly your eye color but will enhance their very color.
In some cases you can choose custom made colored lenses. They will fit to your eyes, especially if you have a special iris or if you suffer from eye injury.
In practice colored lenses are more for frequent users that want to be familiarize with them for some times rather than having fun for a fancy party.
The pros of colored lenses is that you can wear them as you wish. You can throw them away if you want to stop wearing them, change the color by wearing others (provided you have informed your ophthalmologist). On the other hand you have understood that you wear a medical device that is in addition to your own irises and that is not permanent by definition. It may need to be changed after several days, require a strict hygiene etc.
Therefore permanent eye color change procedure might be an option for others.
Laser surgery is one of the main procedure to permanently change eye color.
This procedure uses a laser beam and its main objective is to remove natural pigments.
It uses laser and was developed only for brown eyes to turn into blue. The melanin that is not only present under your skin is a natural “pigment” producer. The brown of your irises when you have brow eyes come from your melanin cells.
These cells color your iris and without them the brown color layer would leave a blue or green light color as these colors have no pigments.
The procedure is so a sort of iris depigmentation done by a laser beam and only for brown eyes to be turned into blue or sometimes green eyes. Should one wish the contrary or any other color shade or have black or non-brown eye it will not be possible.
This procedure has been developed mainly in the United States using a low-energy laser used by some ophthalmologists as is often known as a laser pigment removal. It could assimilated to some depigmentation procedure that you often find in skin whitening techniques having the same objective or reducing melanin rate but being for the eyes it has nothing to do.
This is a pigment removal procedure and not a pigmentation or pigment change procedure that is often named as keratopigmentation.
Most eye laser pigment removal procedures and trials are developed in United States while it is in Europe and mainly in France that eye color change using pigments procedure has been developed.
Though the laser pigment removal procedure has not been approved by most Drugs Administration such as the American Food and Drugs Administration, the procedure is still offered by some healthcare providers.
Stoma Company in the United States is providing a laser procedure to turn someone’s eye color from brown to either a lighter brown, hazel, gray or light blue or green.
Technically the low-energy laser beam passes through the clear cornea of your eye by heating the brown pigments or melanin as a colored layer of your irises.
Once heated and destroyed the pigments leave the underneath layer made of blue or green color. Technically speaking the melanin cells pigment cover the iris with a brown color leaving naturally the blue or green color that has no pigments.
This procedure is still under development and requires three to four surgeries. The Company says results are satisfactory and permanent. The Company is now waiting for the FDA’s approval.
As many ophthalmologists in the United States and elsewhere are against such procedure it seems the pending patent and FDA’s approval might last long.
Many ophthalmologists have enhanced the risks of such procedure despite its own limitations.
Now, how much does this procedure cost compared to other eye color change procedures? As always it is difficult to try a comparison because there is a question of compliance and huge price difference from one country to another.
In short laser beam procedure is less expensive than the implant and its procedure. It is generally similar in 2024 in terms of costs to the keratopigmentation procedure but the results and "quality" is different.
What is then the most safe and efficient eye color change procedure, the eye pigmentation technique also known as keratopigmentation ?
What is Keratopigmentation? "Keratopigmentation is an eye color change procedure using medical pigments and a femtosecond laser".
The procedure exists since long but thanks to high level laser technology and safe certified pigments it is since about ten years now a real game changer.
Yes you can choose the color of your future eyes and the results are simply amazing!
One may say nothing new as colored eye contact lensses, artificial iris implants or depigmentation laser technique can do the job so what is the very difference between theses technique and the keratopigmentation technique?
Keratopigmentation has been experienced for few decades now but without the right technology and we will explain why.
In short there is keratopigmentation provided by some healthcare providers that don’t use the proper laser technology and most importantly the right certified pigments and others.
Most patients feedbacks and comparison of different eye color change procedure let us think that keratopigmentation is the best eye color change procedure if provided by the right healthcare providers.
Colored eye contact lenses are temporary and don’t really solve the question of having permanent new eye color that look natural. The good thing is that they are temporary but on the other hand you might not be a good candidate for that has they are not suitable to everybody. You are also limited in time to wear them, need a prescription each time and need a strict hygiene maintenance. It is then more a temporary solution then something else.
Artificial iris implant procedure is forbidden is most countries and is risky so what would remain, laser eye surgery?
Yes this is a solution but limited because you have to have brown eye and you have to accept to have a future eye color that is not sure, either green or blue with different shades.
In addition eye color change surgery using low-energy beam laser is a depigmentation procedure that may be risky if you refer to the above mentioned comments. Others say that the procedure is temporary as naturally your melanin rate comes back and that you have to start again the procedure. It is not probably worth trying this technique to change your eyes color taking into account the uncertainty of the result, the cost and possible complications.
Then comes the keratopigmentation procedure that is really The eye color change procedure?
We will explain why keratopimentation, when provided by the right Clinic with the right technology might be your best option to change your eyes color naturally.
We have to explain how works the technique, how it is different than other eye color change procedures, what are the risks and limits. You need to know in addition all necessary practical details such as the cost of keratopigmentation, where to find the right clinic for your eye color change procedure, how to get a quote, book the service etc.
Keratopimentation or pigmentation of the iris is not a new procedure.
It exists since the Roman Empire and presumably was developed at that time only for medical reasons. What is new is how technology is used for that procedure.
The cost of Keratopigmentation includes all the below mentioned criteria including medical grade pigments but also a detailled cost breakdown of clinic fees.
To read more: How much does a Keratopigmentation cost?
The eye color change procedure using keratopigmentation technique works safely only thanks to the combination of two technologies, the laser involved and the pigments. It goes without saying that you need the right trained and experienced ophthalmologist surgeon to handle such technology. In 2024 less than ten ophthalmologists master the technique but the development of a dedicated Academy and demand seem to change the pace of development.
Keratopigmentation is first of all a surgery procedure developed to treat severe eyes conditions before being a cosmetic procedure.
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Since ever some patients have severe iris defects and need the right treatment. Some may have a color defect in their irises, others a leukocoria, scars in the cornea, injured irises due to an accident, Urrets-Zavalia syndromes or diplopia for instance.
The solution developed since ever but accurately since thirty years is to use keratopigmentation as a technique to pigment or re-pigment the iris. It is often named as a medical tattooing procedure applied to ophthalmology.
Though the procedure is very technical and requires large equipment investments, you can find the procedure in different clinics throughout the world. Some ophthalmologists undergo this cornea tattooing in very specific cases and it seems without statistics that only a few thousands are provided every year in the world.
The procedure is well known and documented by various ophthalmologists. It is referred for instance as Tattooing of the cornea, Corneal tattooing as alternative treatment for disfiguring corneal scars or even Femtosecond-assisted anterior lamellar corneal staining-tattooing in a blind eye with leukocoria or Intrastromal corneal tattooing as treatment in a case of intractable strabismic diplopia.
Documentation also includes articles and reports about Femtosecond-assisted keratopigmentation for functional and cosmetic restoration in essential iris atrophy or as double tunnel technique in the management of a case of Urrets-Zavalia syndrome or as treatment in a case of intractable strabismic diplopia.
The technical eye color change procedure protocol using keratopigmentation technique documentation often includes the various steps followed by ophthalmologists such as among others:
The current situation of the iris and cornea for each eye
Any relevant eye medical history complications
The corneal cells count
The corneal thickness
The intra ocular pressure
The femtosecond laser incision and its depth
The creation of the tunnel and its dimensions
What pigment and what quantity is inserted
Then the reports mentions the patient’s comments, if there is an uncomforting sensation, what is the vision status, how the pigment is maintained. Pre-tests before the surgery are also reported and done once the surgery is finished.
Some ophthalmologists also conduct long lasting studies and do the same tests over time to some patients to check parameters and metrics in order to document their work.
The preopt protocol is rather easy and simple. Outpatients after eye test exams and a consultation have to clean their eyes with special wipes for several days.
Then with drops in the eye the outpatient (as it is a day surgery) is placed under a powerful specific femtosecond laser.
One of the best brand being femtosecond laser provided by Carl Zeiss from Germany with a specific software.
The laser is one of the key elements that have to be on the check list of anyone that wants to undergo a keratopigmentation eye color change procedure. Not every eye clinic or clinic has this type of equipment as it is a large investment and has to be mastered by trained ophthalmologists.
We do recommend that you double check in your quote or during your consultation what type and brand of femtosecond laser equipment has your clinic before starting anything.
The technique is then to user for instance a VisuMax femtosecond laser using the Intra-Corneal Ring program, making a tunnel for the insertion of intracorneal rings (used in the treatment of keratoconus or moderate myopia). The surgeon will then create a tunnel and report its internal and external diameters, the depth of the incision, angle etc. The injection method of the pigment can also be detailed by your surgeon.
Post op protocol is rather light as well as only drops are prescribed for some times. As already mentioned your surgeon will conduct vision tests before discharge.
As said the keratopigmentation procedure is not new and can be found in few dozen clinics throughout the world.
Mainly available in large JCI accredited international clinics ophthalmology department used to treat trauma surgeries it is also available in some eye clinics in some capitals.
But you have to enquire first if they provide the procedure for cosmetic purposes. As mentioned most ophthalmologists are reluctant to provide such procedure for what you deem to be a comfort treatment or simply because they don’t have the experience for that. Therefore it is a rather fastidious task to double check in each available clinic if they undergo keratopigmentation as a plastic or cosmetic surgery procedure.
As the keratopigmentation market is expanding and as often demand follows supply we have noticed that some well-known plastic surgeon or plastic surgery clinics offer the procedure. When having a closer look you will see that this is a collaboration between plastic surgery clinics and some ophthalmologists.
Once you are sure a clinic provides eye color change keratopigmentation technique for cosmetic reasons you shall check what exact colors are provided and if they will be the ones you would like.
Then you have to check if you are a good candidate to change your eyes color but generally this step comes after you have found the right clinic.
My Keratopigmentation technique check list
What equipment and laser is provided by the Clinic?
What is the background and experience of the surgeon?
What pigments are provided and how safe they are?
One of the main criteria is that your eye clinic shall have the right laser equipment to perform your eye color change procedure using keratopigmentation technique.
Such technology is rather complex and the clinic needs the right device, the software that goes with it and the proper trained staff. These conditions are a sort of barrier for surgeons that would to provide fast and non-reliable procedures.
Not all eye clinics or private practioneers have a femtosecond laser. This high-energy technology is an infrared laser with a wavelength of 1053nm.
It is often used for different eye surgery procedures and not only keratopigmentation.
You may have a consultation with an ophthalmologist and he or she will then rent for several hours an eye surgery theatre in an eye clinic or in the ophthalmology department of a large clinic. Many eye surgeons cannot afford such equipment or need to rent it with the premises for practical reasons.
The femtolaser will be the right technology by producing photoionization and photo disruption of the patient’s tissues. The laser firing system will enable to generate ionized molecules. This laser has usually a very high pulse duration as it is about billionth of a second in average.
The main function of the laser is to have a very high intensity beam with extremely short sessions. In 2024 most femtosecond lasers have a 150 kHz frequency though some brands and technology might differ in terms of frequency and intensity.
The femtosecond laser market has changed a lot since now thirty years and most of them come from Germany or United States such as Abbott Medical Optics, Carl Zeiss, Alcon Laboratories or Perfect Vision.
Before the development of keratopigmentation, such femtosecond laser has been used by ophthalmologists mainly for corneal refractive procedures.
Ophthalmologists are used to treat various conditions such the well known LASIK procedure. It is a refractive surgery using laser technique to avoid wearing contact lenses or glasses. This femtosecond laser will help improving patient’s vision by changing the shape of its cornea.
It is also commonly used for astigmatic keratotomy, channel creation for implantation of intrastromal corneal ring segments, presbyopia correction, small-incision lenticule extraction (the famous SMILE technique), and intrastromal presbyopia correction.
Used also for minor eye procedures such as keratoplasties but can be of a great help for common cataract procedures.
It goes without saying but it is worth remembering that your surgeon shall be an ophthalmologist and trained for surgeries. In Addition he or she shall be trained with the femtosecond laser technology and shall master its software. Non all ophthalmology can do that and you shall enquire about the equipment used for the keratopigmentation surgery.
As for the keratopigmentation pigments you have to enquire about the brand, why it is reliable, why it is certified and possibly any track records.
► more about Keratopigmentation before after photos or Keratopigmentation surgery videos.
If your keratopigmentation surgeon will be able to provide you with information about the premises, equipment, exact technique used but also his own background it means you can tick some boxes in your check list.
Don’t forget that it is not because your ophthalmologist is a refractive eye surgery specialist with the right equipment that he or she will know how to perform properly a keratopigmentation. You have to be sure it is part of his or her experience and ask for track records. Again the surgeons that are able to do that in 2024 are less than a dozen. The development of the keratopigmentation market and of a dedicated Academy will certainly expand this number in the years 2024 and 2025.
Now that these criteria are double checked remains the last one that the pigments used to color your irises.
Patients in eye color procedure are often focus on colors, what colors are available, will this new color fit me, will others like my new face? Will the color be stable, can I have a simulation? Will this color fit with my hair color and my skin tone? Will others notice me more with a light blue, an emerald green etc.?
Find out more: is Keratopigmentation for me?
These questions are normal but patients have to also focus on the components and quality of the pigments. Once you have chosen a color for your walls at home you quickly realize that quality matters, that some pigment may vanish quickly, that stains or light make them different as you have originally thought.
In Keratopigmentation the pigments are inserted and put above your current irises' color so to display another color. Therefore the procedure is not so invasive as there is no depigmentation process such as with laser beam procedure.
Most of colors require one pigment but some require two pigments meaning it might affect the total price.
In addition the question is not about a wall color paint that can be changed but about a color that needs to please you, be stable and tolerate by your body.
The quality and components of your keratopigmentation eye color change procedure is really a key thing.
Why? Because since years many “bad” surgeons provide keratopigmentations using different types of pigments and often on their own without the slightest controls, track records or certification. Yes, especially in Asia and Africa you can insert any type of pigment you can find for tattoos dermatological procedure for instance or by any means.
Would you envisage a dental procedure without knowing the implant brand? Would you have a knee surgery without knowing what external invasive material is inserted in your body? It is the same with keratopigmentation procedure, the pigments used are a key thing. Would you insert in your head thousands of external foreign artificial fibers known as Biofibre in your head without asking if the devise is a medical device certified and approved by Drugs Authorities?
The pigment have in addition to be biocompatible.
The best being to be sure that the pigments used have a track record and previously used as medical tattoo devices.
So far, we have notice that the few ophthalmologists in the world that provide such eye change color procedure use pigments on their own. Some say it is a secret, patented, others say it is that Brand but is their own brand.
In our opinion pigments you are about to have in your eyes have to be certified or we would say have the proper manufacturing process and has to be deemed to be a medical devise.
Your surgeon when providing a quote or consultation for your keratopigmentation has to inform you about the Brand, certification, track records of your eyes’ pigments. They have to be medical pigments, have to be reliable, they have to a stable color that you like. If you look for certified keratopigmentation in France or keratopigmentation in Belgium, certified Keratopigmentation in Italy or certified keratopigmentation in Switzerland while others look for keratopigmentation procedure in the UK or keratopigmentation procedure in Germany this is a good start. As for Europe others search for cheap keratopigmentation in Poland or cheap keratopigmentation in Romania or keratopigmentation in Spain. Others simply search for keratopigmentation in Europe in general to cover different EU countries.
In 2024 it seems there is only one reliable brand with certifications and independant from clinics (medical tattoo pigment made specifically for eye color change procedure and for different surgeons).
As there is few clinics in the world that provide the right keratopigmentation technique we will advise you and help you to find the right one.
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Updated April 2024 Dr Renato De Natale / Dr Theodore Hojabr
2024 Sources:
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