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New Procedure Changes Brown Eyes To Blue

BOSTON (CBS) - There's little question that blue eyes, for whatever reason, are considered an attractive facial feature, and only 17% of the world's population has them. The vast majority of us have brown eyes. But apparently, for the right price, you, too, can have blue eyes.

The only way to change your eye color has been to wear colored contact lenses, but now there's a new procedure that change brown eyes to blue.

According to ophthalmologists, we all have blue eyes below our brown eyes, under a thin layer of pigment.

A California company has now developed a laser treatment that disturbs the melanin in the pigmented part of the eye and causes the body to eliminate it over time. The procedure only lasts seconds, but it may take weeks before the blue tint emerges.

This laser treatment is not available here in the U.S. yet, but has been tested overseas with success. Researchers claim it is safe but have to conduct more clinical trials before they can apply for FDA approval.

Some ophthalmologists are concerned that tampering with pigment could cause blockages and increase pressure in the eyes.

The procedure is expected to cost around $5,000.

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