Lady Gaga is the Madonna of this generation. While her songs are trendy, it is her fashion that speaks volumes to her fame. Her choice of attire pushes the limits of culturally "normal". This is most often noticed in her unique videos. Her most recent fashion statement is the circle contact lenses.
History of Circle Contact Lenses in Videos
While Lady Gaga's video Bad Romance seems to introduce the trend of circle contact lenses, these lenses have been used in music videos since the middle 1980s. An early example that highlighted the lenses was Michael Jackson's Thriller video. The mini-movie featured Michael Jackson as both a zombie and an evil-type figure. In order to enhance the believability of the characters, he had to wear special-effect contact lenses.
The fad exploded in the 1990s with emergence of Marilyn Manson. To add to his goth image, Manson often wore circle contact lenses. He is often pictured in zombie-like contacts that whites-out the iris. Other lenses that he wears are cat eye, red eye, and bloodshot. At times he will wear a different lens in each eye for a unique look.
Lady Gaga's Bad Romance Video
Within the her video Bad Romance Lady Gaga appears to have enlarged eyes. This is seen in the bathtub scenes. Her eyes appear more circular than oval, which appears anime. Additionally, her pupils, or the black part, seem to have disappeared altogether. This is to create the illusion that she is innocent of all happening around her.
Because of advanced digital technology it is uncertain whether her eyes in the scenes contain circle contact lenses or are digitally modified. Obviously, her glowing spine in the video is not her own but is digitally enhanced, so the editors may have done the same thing to her eyes.
Circle Contact Lenses Sales Increasing
Even though the Bad Romance video was produced almost a year ago, the fad of circle contact lenses is increasing. For girls who want to achieve the wide-eyed anime look, circle contact lenses can be purchased. However, the sale of any type of non-FDA contact lenses is illegal in the United States. This is not stopping multitudes of vendors from peddling the product over the internet.
Lenses can be purchased individually or in pairs. Additionally, the color choices are numerous. Consumers can choose among solid colors, bullseye, red circle, and piercing/symbols.
Dangers of Circle Contact Lenses
As with any contact lenses there are dangers associated with wearing them. According to Web MD, the eye can become infected due to one of two reasons. The first reason is that the lens covers the cornea and deprives the eye of oxygen, which leads to infection. The second reason is that the lens may scratch the eye, which also leads to infection.
Because many people who purchase circle contact lenses do not wear regular contacts, they are not savvy as to how to clean them properly, insert them, or remove them. All of these examples can easily lead to an infection, or worse, loss of vision altogether.
Overall, circle contact lenses are indeed today's latest fad. Most teens who purchase these lenses may only want to emulate Lady Gaga's look rather than focus on the risk of use. Anyone considering using any type of contact lenses should consult an optometrist for a consultation and corrective procedures to use.
Kerrie Troseth - Kerrie is a licensed school counselor who works exclusively with adolescents. As a school counselor she is trained in the areas of ...
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