It may just be the most unsettling fashion trend ever. Teenage girls have started importing something called “circle lenses” that make their eyes appear bigger, like an anime character. It’s all thanks to Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance music video.
Given the fact that no one in the US actually sells circle lenses, and because they have serious health concerns, Lady Gaga’s infamous bugged-out eyes were probably computer generated. But now people around the country are trying to imitate that look.
Circle lenses are bigger than traditional lenses. They cover part of the whites of the eyes, as well as the iris. Every single contact lens sold in the US only covers the iris.
The New York Times reports that even though they’re not available in the US, some resourceful teenagers have begun importing circle lenses from Asia. The Times found 16-year old Melody Vue who owns 22 pairs of circle lenses and has “noticed a lot of girls in my town have started to wear them a lot.”
Asian e-tailers that sell the lenses are being advertised in the comments section of Youtube postings of the Gaga music video. The biggest problem is that these sites allow consumers to buy prescription-strength lenses.
“Consumers risk significant eye injuries — even blindness,” said FDA spokesperson Karen Riley. But people are taking their chances. It’s likely just a passing fad. Even that 16-year-old girl said she’s already tired of them. “It kind of makes me not want to wear them anymore, because everyone is wearing them,” she said.
