The procedure, otherwise known as keratopigmentation, is a recent development and can be used for therapeutic purposes to improve the appearance of eyes. It could benefit people who have been left with scars on the transparent front part of the eye, known as the cornea, as a result of infection, disease or injury, or who have aniridia, a condition where the iris has not formed properly.
However, experts have raised concerns the procedure is becoming a popular aesthetic trend, with influencers posting TikTok videos of them undergoing surgery to permanently change their eye colour - often from brown to blue or green.
Alex Day, a consultant eye surgeon and ophthalmologist at Moorfields private eye hospital in London, said the procedure was not available for purely cosmetic reasons in the UK, meaning those seeking eye tattoos tend to go abroad.
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