It is not surprising that getting inked has become more and more popular these days with people exhibiting their personal expressions through art on their body. Among the tattoo trends, eyeball tattoo, also known as a scleral tattoo, is an extreme form of body alteration with tattoo ink injected into the white part of a person's eyes. Multiple injections are needed to change the whites of the eyes to a completely different colour permanently. Despite knowing its gruesome complications, eyeball tattoo has become a popular trend among body modification enthusiasts.
When Aleksandra Sadowska, a model from Wroclaw in Poland wished to look like rap artist Popek in 2016, little did she know about the distressing life awaiting her. She approached a local tattoo artist Piotr A to get her eyeballs blackened. Though she was initially happy with the result, things went wrong after she started experiencing severe pain in her eyes.
Artist claimed pain is normal
The tattoo artist claimed that the pain is normal and advised her to take painkillers. However, the 25-year-old lost complete sight in her right eye and when investigated, it is understood that Piotr might have used body ink, which should not be used in eyes, for the procedure.
Aleksandra has so far undergone three procedures to restore her eyesight, but since the ink has reached her tissues, medics are of the opinion that she will not regain the vision. "Unfortunately, for now, doctors do not give me much optimism for improvement. The damage is too deep and extensive. I'm afraid I will be completely blind. I will not lock myself in the basement and get depressed. I have sadness behind me, but I live on," she is quoted as saying on Mail Online.
After four years, now Piotr is said to be facing three years in prison for unintentionally disabling the woman and she has also demanded £300,000 in compensation.
Similar cases in the past
Meanwhile, in 2019, another Australian woman was in the news after she became blind for three weeks following her eyeballs tattooed blue. Amber Luke, from New South Wales, however, regained her eyesight. Two years ago, model Catt Gallinger from Canada had also shared her dreadful experience as the botched eyeball tattoo left her partially blind.
