Lady Gaga lenses can damage eyes: experts

Fans of the computer-enhanced large-eyeball look inLady Gaga's Bad Romance video should not try to mimic the lookat home, optometrists warned on Monday.

The Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) issued arelease warning thatcosmetic lenses that give the wearer the same "doe-eyed" look Gaga has in the video can lead to complications that can be serious if people are not properly trained on how to use, clean and disinfect the lenses.

Some young fans of thepopsingerhave beencopying the look, which is similar to that of Japaneseanime characters,with the help ofa type of contact lens popularized in Asiaknown as a circle lens.

Unlike normal contact lenses, circle lenses extend beyond the iris to cover part of the white of the eye.

The lensesare available as purely cosmeticeyewear or in corrective strengths and come in unusual colours such as purple and pink.

No prescription needed

Young girls have been orderingthe lenses online on sites that import them from Asia, such as lenscircle.com, which is based in Toronto.

In the U.S., it is illegal to sell corrective or cosmetic contact lenses without a prescription but that hasn't deterred young girls in that country from ordering them from sites based outside the U.S.,a New York Times piece on circle lenses pointed outthis month, even though it is still illegal for those sites to ship the lenses to the U.S.

In Canada, regulation varies by province. British Columbia recently changed its legislation to allowconsumers to purchase glasses or contact lenses without a prescription or eye exam.The CAO opposed that change, which took effect May 1.

Cosmetic lenses can be sold by anyone in Canada, including at beauty salons,convenience stores or online.

Cosmetic contact lenses are not classified asmedical devices and no prescription is needed to buy them, Health Canada's website said.Manufacturers and importers must notify the departmentthat they intend to sellthe product, and are required to provide safety data.

If a lens has therapeutic properties suchasoptical correction,then only licensed eyecare professionals can prescribe,dispense or sell these lenses, outside B.C.

Optometrists saycircle lenses can cause various problems, for example:

• Some lens materials inhibit the eye from breathing properly.
• Eye infections may result from poor, unhygienic handling of the lenses or a lack of storage, cleaning and disinfection.
• Wearers sometimes share lenses with friends, which increases likelihood of infection.

Dr. Desmond Fonn, directorof the Centre for Contact Lens Research at the University of Waterloo and a professor at the Ontario university'sSchool of Optometry, advised people to consult an eyecare professional to ensure the lenses fit properly.

Lensescome into direct contact with the surface of the eye, which can easily be irritated, scratched or permanently damaged.

"Of utmost importance is that immediate professional help be sought if any ocular reaction occurs," Fonn said.

CAO is asking Health Canada to legislate a prescription requirement for dispensing all types of contact lenses in the country.