Walt Kane

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Jun 8, 2023, 7:12 AM

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Updated

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As an optometrist, Dr. Ray Corbin-Simon’s job is to make sure her patient’s eyes are healthy. So she was taken aback when one patient recently told her she’d started using eye drops in hopes of changing her eye color.                            

“We kind of looked up the ingredients to try to figure out, okay, what's going on, you know, with the drops? Some of them, actually, when I took a look at them, are carcinogens. So when you consider that, do you actually want to use that product in your eyes?” Cobin-Simon said.

Kane in Your Corner looked online and found several companies claiming to sell color-changing eyedrops. What we didn’t find was any medical research indicating those products will actually work.

In fact, the Better Business Bureau recently issued a warning about one of those companies, Crystal Drops, giving the company a rating of “F.”

“We have asked Crystal Drops to substantiate their claims, which at this point they have not done,” Claire Rosenzweig said.  

Eye color is genetics. It’s caused by the amount of melanin in a person’s iris. Doctor Corbin-Simon says some medications may darken a person’s eyes, but that’s a side effect, and the medications should only be prescribed for serious conditions. As for eye drops claiming they can permanently lighten your eye color, she says there’s no evidence those will be effective.

“You’re actually stopping melanin from being produced, and that's really difficult to do, when you're talking about something penetrating into the eye to make a difference,” Cobin-Simon said.  

Kane in Your Corner tried to talk to Crystal Drops, but the company did not get back to us.

So how can you safely change your eye color? One option is colored contact lenses. There are also surgical procedures that can involve putting an implant in your iris, but Dr. Corbin-Simon doesn’t recommend those because of the risk involved. She also says beware of any product that’s not FDA tested and approved.

If you have any questions, talk to your eye doctor.