Changing your eye color is no longer just a dream. Modern eye color change procedures offer both permanent and temporary solutions for those who wish to transform their look. From keratopigmentation to iris implants, and even laser depigmentation, each method has its own benefits, risks, and costs. This guide explains the main techniques, compares prices worldwide, and helps you choose the safest option for your needs.
Safety in terms of eye color change procedure means what techniques and surgery we are referring to.
► to know more about the different eye color change procedures
There are different surgery techniques to change eye color. So the best is to check each one of them and break down what are the advantages but mainly the risks and potential complications.
There are 4 main ways to change eye color:
Keratopigmentation: a medical tattooing technique on the cornea
Iris implant surgery: inserting an artificial iris to change color permanently
Laser depigmentation: reducing melanin in the iris to lighten color
Colored contact lenses: a temporary, non-surgical option
The risks of this technical and not so common procedure is blindness or reduced vision in worst case scenario but also cornea, cataract or glaucoma issues.
You will not be a good artificial iris transplant procedure candidate in the following cases:
You have a retinal detachment
An eye infection
An eye inflammation
An eye disorder that changes the eye function (ie a rubella cataract)
Rubeosis of the iris
A diabetic retinopathy
A glaucoma
A disorder that may require another eye procedure to be performed before
A missing iris
In addition to these “restrictions” it is reminded that such procedure for cosmetic reasons only is not recommended at all and even forbidden. The American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Food and Drugs Administration, most European Drug Administrations or the American Glaucoma Society don’t recommend such procedure if not for medical reasons.
The main risks associated with colored eye contact lenses without prescription are :
Corneal abrasions that leads to severe inflammation
Infections like keratitis
Corneal ulcers
Conjunctivitis
Blindness in some rare cases
Eye surgeons say the potential risks are, though it still has to be proven:
Uveitis because of the potential inflammation caused by the laser beam
Glaucoma
Reduced vision
Potential blindness as some cases where reported
Some reports and comments from Europe or United States based ophthalmologists societies suggest that potential patients shall be cautious and have an informed choice of the various techniques to color their eye before undergoing such technique.
On the other hand the pros comments are mainly from Stoma Company. They says that the procedure is safe after more than ten years of tests. These results are of course in the report sent to the FDA.
It is probaly less risky than the other procedures as it is not a surgery but still you have to comply and pay attention.
Keratopigmentation is a different technique than the above mentioned surgeries as it aims to pigment the eye and not add lenses, depigment the iris or change the iris.
As any surgery this surgery may have some risks but it depends of the clinic, surgeon, protocol, technology used so you may have keratopigmentation and safe keratopigmentation.
You have to check:
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?
If these parameters are ticked then you have put all the chances to have a safe eye color change technique.
In short Keratopigmentation is deemed to be the most efficient eye color change procedure. If the right one is chosen meaning with the right ophthalmologist with the right team but also laser and pigment then it is deemed to be safe.
► To know more about Keratopigmentation prices?
Providing your medical history will also help your ophthalmologist.
To the question is Keratopigmentation a safe eye color change procedure, we can confirm that first Keratopigmentation is the most safe eye color change procedure. Eye depigmentation or artificial iris transplant are very risky surgeries.
Then we can also remind that no surgery is without any risks but you shall enquire and check different things to get the right Keratopigmentation.
It is first important to review the development over time of eye pigmentation techniques. Why? because in itself this technique is not new and that in the end it is an addition of several techniques and different technological developments which have made it possible to finally achieve results that can be qualified as safe. The tattoo first in itself is not new, since the dawn of time men have been using tattoos on their bodies. We even see that today, for example, there are 12 million French people with tattoos, 13 million Britons or more than 100 million Americans.
It is therefore important to understand the evolution of the technique known as keratopigmentation which is also sometimes called corneal tattooing.
The study of the evolution of Keratopigmentation allows us to understand what is in the field of discovery, experience and then science.
It was the physicist and philosopher Galen of Pergamum who practiced the first tattoo of the cornea in the 170s AD. It was in 1870 that we find in the literature the term "corneal tattooing" used by oculoplastic surgeons such as Louis Von Wecker.
It was in 1922, with his work “Multicolor tattooing of cornea”, that the American ophthalmologist Samuel Lewis Ziegler brought keratopigmentation into the modern era.
In the 1990s, the realization of a tunnel in the cornea to lodge there in first intention of the segments of rings for the management of keratoconus allowed the realization of a wider tunnel to introduce a pigment.
It is a Spanish ophthalmologist Professor Alio, who gives the letters of nobility in 2001 to this technique thanks to the advent of the femtosecond laser which made it possible to carry out the tunnel in a secure way with great precision.
Indeed, the technique used is the same as for the creation of tunnels with the placement of intracorneal rings in the management of keratoconus. Therapeutic keratopigmentation has given hope to many patients with aniridia, coloboma, traumatic iris or albinism with absence of iris staining.
No adverse event has been reported in these cases, hence the extension of this technique in aesthetics.
It is therefore, as is often the case, the mastery of a technique or medical surgery which has allowed it to open up to other fields such as, logically, that of aesthetics.
The technique, like all innovations, is certainly decried. This was the case in 1949 with the appearance of rigid poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) implants for cataract surgery. Ditto in 1967 with phacoemulsification in cataract surgery. Ditto in the 1990s for refractive surgery for which we spoke of scarification of the cornea. Ditto in 1997 for the corneal CXL which stops the disease of keratoconus and which was to age the cornea by 20 or 30 years.
But today millions of people are operated by these techniques and they are no longer debated. Keratopigmentation does not escape the debate, In 2021 a presentation by Professor Muraine at the annual congress of SAFIR (Society of the French Association of Implants and Refractive Surgery) showed that among all the techniques, keratopigmentation performed by laser femtosecond was the least risky versus laser depigmentation of the iris which promotes glaucoma and cataracts or the placement of an iris implant which decompensates the cornea and leads to the transplant.
Any Clinic or ophthalmologist will tell you all is fine, there is no complications reported and you can go ahead. Yes but this is more complex than that. You need a combination of criteria to reduce the risk. We often name a safe procedure (well a surgery that tends to risk 0) as certified.
Safety should always be the first concern when considering an eye color change.
Keratopigmentation generally has a good safety profile when done by an experienced surgeon
Iris implants carry higher risks such as glaucoma or corneal damage if not medically necessary
Laser depigmentation is still under study and not approved in some countries
Colored lenses can cause irritation or infections if used without proper hygiene
Always consult an ophthalmologist before deciding.
How can I check that keratopigmentation is safe? The following 4 cumulative criteria must be met (as explained in the infographic).
How can i check that a Keratopigmentation is safe with the 4 criteria?
✅ 1/4Check your ophthalmologist for your Keratopigmentation
✅2/4 Check if how your ophthalmologist is trained, part of an international society of eye color change ophthalmologists
✅3/4 What equipment and laser is used for your Keratopigmentation?
✅4/4 The quality and stability of your eye's pigments after your Keratopigmentation
Follow these steps to choose the safest and most effective method:
Define your goal: temporary or permanent change
Undergo a full eye health evaluation
Compare techniques based on risks and expected results
Select a qualified clinic with proven experience
Consider traveling abroad if it offers safer or more affordable options
Important tip not to overlook: How artistic is your eye doctor? This question may seem irrelevant at first, but it is crucial. Looking at before and after photos of keratopigmentations, many say that they do not look natural and this is where the artistic side of your ophthalmologist comes into play in addition to technical abilities. The surface of an eye is never uniform and to avoid seeing before and after photos that seem to come from Photoshop, your ophthalmologist must reproduce the specificities of the surface of your eye and its relief as some would say. It is therefore important to carefully check the work carried out by your ophthalmologist and that he or she explains what his or her specific technique is.
Keratopigmentation: a few days to a week
Iris implant: several weeks of follow-up needed
Laser depigmentation: minimal downtime
Contact lenses: no recovery but daily hygiene is essential
Protect your eyes from direct sunlight, avoid swimming for at least two weeks after surgery, and attend all follow-up appointments.
| Technique | Average Cost (USD) | Permanent/Temporary | Typical Country Options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keratopigmentation | 10,000 – 13,100 | Permanent | France, Italy |
| Iris implant surgery | 7,000 – 8,100 | Permanent | Mexico, India |
| Laser depigmentation | 6,500 – 8,200 | Permanent | USA, Switzerland |
| Colored contact lenses | 100 – 500/year | Temporary | Worldwide |
There is always something additional you shall know and ask apart from those 4 above mentioned criteria:
Changing your eye color can be life-changing, but it must be done safely. Understanding the available techniques, costs, and risks will help you make the best decision. Consult experienced specialists, choose clinics with proven results, and remember that safety should always come before cosmetic goals.
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April 2023 - Updated January 2026 Doctor Astor Dr Renato De Natale
Sources:
About same eye color change and Keratopigmentation topic:
What is this new technique called Keratopigmentation?
All your questions answered about eye color change surgery
What solutions do I have if I want to change my eyes color?
Is eye color change surgery for everybody?
How does a keratopigmentation protocol work?
How much shall I expect in terms of Keratopigmentation costs?
Before and after photos of real Keratopigmentation procedure