Y'know, the thing about a shark, he's got lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eyes. - Quint, Jaws (movie)
Why do we always want what we don't have?
Before I start whining in this post, I figured I might as well acknowledge to you that I'm extremely happy to have eyes that function well. I have 20/15 vision, and I'm grateful for sight.
For the rest of this post, I will proceed to whine. Vanity, thy name is dreemsteem.
I have extremely dark eyes. So dark, in fact- they look black. The only time you can see the distinction between the pupil and the iris is when I'm looking directly into the sun. (Warning: do not look directly into the sun) I've never liked them! I've always wanted crystal-clear, light eyes. When I saw the movie Jaws, not only was I terrified to go in the ocean for years..... but I also found a new hatred for my eyes.
"What did he say??? lifeless, black eyes??? like a SHARK?!?!"
It wasn't until I married my husband (who has a fascination with my sharky eyes) that I stopped hating them so much. He says they sparkle. I do not believe him. But I don't hate them anymore.
Do I still want light, clear eyes? Yep. Yep, I do.
There are several options out there for people like me who would like to alter the appearance of their eyes. Colored contact lenses are the least invasive option, but for very dark-eyed people - they always look very.... cyborg-ish. It's a word.
Did you also know that there is an actual procedure that slides a flexible silicone covering through a slit into your lens that will cover your iris. I've seen it. shudder It's definitely a step up from contact lenses as far as a realistic look, but the disadvantages of irritation, infection, and .... well you know - BLINDNESS was a *slight* deterrent for me. Was there no alternative for a black-eyed girl?
Then.... I found it.
The fact that blue me away: I ALREADY HAD CRYSTAL-CLEAR, LIGHT EYES.
This is not a joke. This is absolutely a fact. Everyone has light (blue or green) eyes. What changes their appearance is a layer of pigment on top of the iris. For me, I have a large amount of black, lifeless, SHARK PIGMENT on top of my eyes. (Thanks, Quint.)
Well, that's all well and good, dreemsteem - but how to remove such pigment and reveal the lovely shades beneath??
A few years ago, as I was wandering around YouTube, I came across a video that claimed to be a subliminal message to whisk away those pesky pigments. After a good laugh, (I may or may not have actually listened to said video for a few minutes) I was about to turn off YouTube and resign myself to my fate. But.. hold the phone- what was this? An actual scientific-looking video claiming some new research?
Dr. Gregg Homer from Stroma had discovered a way to use a laser to deliver short bursts of energy to disrupt that pigment, allowing the body to naturally rid itself of the destroyed pigment cells, revealing the light-colored eyes underneath in just a matter of weeks.
Green, blue, or brown… your eye color is just one part of who you are. Darker eyes are mysterious and beautiful, but just beneath the darker pigment lies your unique shade of blue or green. The lighter shade is also a part of who you are.If you want to lighten up, STRŌMA® may be right for you.
Did I sign up to be one of their trial patients? I'll let you venture a guess. I'll never tell.
As of yet, they haven't released any of their before and after pictures yet, but I can tell you this: They have become VERY excited and their website has gone from a boring research site to an attractive, user-friendly site that is geared towards marketing this service soon. They approximate that the service will be $5000 for the color change.
What a world we live in! But $5000? No matter how badly I want this procedure, I simply can't justify that price tag to exchange my perfectly-functioning sharkies for a pair of baby blues. Also...
STRŌMA® is the leader in permanent eye color change, with its revolutionary STRŌMA® Laser System. Its patented laser initiates a natural metabolic process that gradually eliminates the superficial pigment in darker eyes to reveal your natural underlying color.
Did you catch that? The procedure is permanent.
Permanent? Was that hesitation I just felt? After years of wanting to trade places with my pretty-eyed peers, did I truly not want to jump at the chance when the solution was so near at hand? What can I say? Forever is a very long time. My hubby might develop a new attraction to my brand-new iridescent irises, but I might start to miss being his sparkly-eyed girl.
Unless, of course, Stroma chooses me as one of their trial subjects. Then, all bets are off. (oops)
*Capt'n Dreemsteem caricature created by @kryptik; blue eyes added by @scuzzy