FROM foot binding to corsets and towering stiletto heels, women's pursuit of fashion has often involved an element of pain and risk. Now it is the eye's turn to be manipulated in the name of beauty.
Circle lenses are a new breed of cosmetic contact lenses which are bigger than the iris, giving the wearer a wide-eyed, doll-like look. Originating in South Korea, they are becoming popular among teenagers and women in their early 20s.
The lenses rocketed to fame when Lady Gaga wore them in her Bad Romance video clip. They are now sold on countless websites and an internet video explaining how to to re-create the Lady Gaga look has been watched nearly 10 million times.
Circle lenses also copy the doe-eyed look of some Asian cartoon characters and some have the logos of fashion brands printed on them.
Janice Wong, 22, is an economics student who also runs a fashion and beauty blog, chaigyaru.com.
She wears circle lenses because she admires Japanese and anime-inspired fashion and said many girls from Asian backgrounds want eyes that appear bigger and rounder. "The way they market the lenses is if you buy them you don't have to go through eye surgery to get big eyes," Ms Wong said.
"In Australia young girls are always looking at magazines … and most of the girls have big open eyes," she said. "You think, 'If I want to do that make-up I have to have eyes like that.' "
Joe Chakman, the Optometrists Association Australia's chief executive, said if contact lenses were not fitted to the eye properly they could cause infections.
Unlike normal contact lenses, which can only be supplied with a prescription, there are no restrictions on who can sell cosmetic lenses in NSW. "We have seen people who have had significant vision loss caused by infections from these contact lenses," Mr Chakman said.
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