AAO: eye color‑change drops not FDA

The American Academy of Ophthalmology is warning consumers not to use over-the-counter eye drops sold online as eye color changers. (aao.org) The group said the products are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and have not been tested for safety or effectiveness. AAO spokesperson Dr. JoAnn A. Giaconi said they could damage the eye. (aao.org) (ophthalmologytimes.com) The ads have appeared on TikTok and other online platforms, where before-and-after images promise lighter irises without explaining how the drops work. Giaconi said consumers should treat that as a warning sign. (aao.org) Eye color comes from pigment in the iris, the ring of tissue around the pupil. A drug that changes that pigment is acting on a sensitive part of the eye, not like makeup sitting on the surface. (aao.org) That matters because some prescription glaucoma drugs already show what pigment-changing medicine can do. The Food and Drug Administration label for latanoprost says it can increase brown pigment in the iris, and the change may be permanent. (accessdata.fda.gov) (dailymed.nlm.nih.gov) The academy said that does not make cosmetic color-change drops safe. It said over-the-counter products now being advertised have no formal evidence showing they work or that they can be used without harming vision. (aao.org) (health.harvard.edu) For people who want a different look, the academy points to prescribed colored contact lenses as the safer option. It says those lenses should be prescribed, dispensed, and fitted by a qualified eye care professional. (aao.org 1) (aao.org 2) The academy’s bottom-line advice is simple: do not put anything in your eye that is not meant to go there. Giaconi said the risk is not just irritation, but “painful eye conditions or even blindness.” (ophthalmologytimes.com)