AZE.US
Changing eye color is no longer just about colored contact lenses or social media filters. In Azerbaijan, a growing number of people are showing interest in medical procedures that promise a permanent change in eye color, even as doctors continue to debate the risks.
According to a report by ITV, the price of such procedures in Azerbaijan depends on the selected color and ranges from 10,000 to 15,000 manats, or roughly $5,900 to $8,800 at the official exchange rate of 1.70 manats per dollar.
Some patients say they are satisfied with the result and have not experienced vision problems after the procedure. One woman interviewed in the report said she had the operation almost two years ago and had no complaints about her eye health.
Supporters of the procedure argue that modern methods, including FLAAK, should not be confused with older eye color change surgeries or artificial iris implants. They say the technique involves applying pigment to the cornea rather than placing an implant inside the eye.
But ophthalmologists warn that the procedure should not be treated as a simple beauty service. The American Academy of Ophthalmology has cautioned against cosmetic eye color-changing procedures, warning that they may cause light sensitivity, inflammation, corneal damage, glaucoma, cataracts, vision loss and even blindness.
Medical experts are especially concerned about cosmetic iris implants, which have been linked in studies to serious complications, including glaucoma, cataracts, uveitis, corneal damage and severe loss of vision. A scientific review published in 2022 said cosmetic iris implants should be considered highly unsafe based on available evidence.
Keratopigmentation, or corneal tattooing, is often presented as less invasive than iris implants. Still, Cleveland Clinic warns that eye color-changing procedures, including keratopigmentation, carry risks to vision and should not be viewed as harmless cosmetic work.
In Azerbaijan, local doctors also appear divided. Some say newer techniques, if performed correctly and on properly selected patients, do not carry the same risks as older operations. Others warn that pigment placed in or around the eye may behave unpredictably over time and that complications involving the eye can have irreversible consequences.
There is also a legal and identification question. Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry says a change in eye color or facial appearance does not prevent authorities from identifying a person through biometric data.
For now, the procedure remains a personal choice. But the cost is not only financial. At up to 15,000 manats, patients are paying for a cosmetic change involving one of the body’s most delicate organs, where a mistake or complication could affect vision for life.
AZE.US