- A Polish woman said she lost vision in one eye after she got her eyes tattooed black.
- The tattoo artist is facing up to three years in prison for injuring her, and for using ink made for skin on the woman's eyes.
- This is the latest in a spate of ill-advised procedures people have been doing to stand out on Instagram.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
A Polish woman said she has lost sight in one of her eyes, and may go totally blind, after getting her eyeballs died black using standard ink for skin tattoos, according to Metro.
Aleksandra Sadowska, 25, said she was inspired by Popek, a Polish rapper famous for dying the whites of his eyes black.
According to legal papers filed against her tattoo artist, Piotr A, Sadowska complained of sharp pain in her eyes immediately after the procedure, Metro reported. She claims Piotr A told her it was normal and could be treated with painkillers.
Piotr A is now facing up to three years in prison.
"There is clear evidence that the tattoo artist did not know how to perform such a delicate procedure," Sadowska's lawyers said. "And yet he decided to perform it which led to this tragedy." Piotr A denied the charges.
Previously, rapper Popek, who inspired Sadowska, told Tattoofan magazine that, after his procedure, he was blind for a month. He said his eyesight permanently deteriorated 30% as a result. The rapper, who now has to wear glasses daily, said the procedure cost him £6,000, which is about $7,666.53.
"You must be relaxed, have eyes wide open, and someone is touching you eyeball with a burning cigarette," he said. "This is where he puts the needle in the eye and the procedure begins."
Nonetheless Popek said he had no regrets.
According to Medical News Today, getting surgery to change one's eye color permanently is not a good idea, even when done with a doctor. Possible risks include glaucoma, vision loss, cataracts, and injury to the cornea. Iris implant surgery, another popular yet risky cosmetic trend, is currently illegal in the US.
This is the latest in a series of ill-advised procedures people have been getting to distinguish themselves on Instagram
Sadowska is prominent on Instagram, posting haunting selfies of her dark eyes.
In 2019, an Iranian Instagram influencer who went by Sahar Tabar had 50 procedures done to her face and body, in what some think was an effort to look the titular character from Tim Burton movie The Corpse Bride.
Alexa Dellanos, a 23-year-old Instagrammer, previously told Insider she had over $17,000 of cosmetic surgeries to grow her virtual following after abandoning a career of broadcast journalism.
On Instagram, surgeons film the procedures they're performing to rack up followers. Dr. Simon Ourian, known for treating Kylie Jenner, is an Instagram celebrity in his own right, with 3.6 million followers. Dr. Terry Dubrow and Dr. Paul Nassif, stars of E! plastic surgery show Botched, have 774,00 and 882,000 followers, respectively.
Many experts have sounded the alarms on the ways the culture of Instagram encourages plastic surgery. One 2019 study found that women between 18–29 were likely to desire cosmetic surgery, "especially if they spent a significant amount of time on social media."
In 2019, Instagram removed filters that let users mimic the effects of facelifts, Botox injections, and other surgeries.
Read more:
An Iranian Instagram star thought to have had 50 cosmetic surgeries to look like Angelina Jolie was arrested over claims she corrupted youth and incited violence on social media
Instagram is banning filters that promote cosmetic surgery as it battles mental health concerns
An Instagram star with 1.4 million followers says she makes $64,000 a year just from her selfies, and she thinks getting plastic surgery helped
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