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OLYMPIA – Tattooed eyeballs are apparently rare in the state of Washington. On Wednesday, a committee of the House was asked not to stop there with a bill to stop tattooists from doing anything in plain sight.
They are known as scleral tattoos because they scratch or dye the sclera, the white outer layer of the eyeball. The simple description of tattoos has thrilled some members of the House Health and Wellness Committee.
"Everyone is frightened by this," said the chair of the bill, Steve Tharinger's representative, D-Sequim, Eileen Cody, president of D-West Seattle.
"It's weird, but it's not a joke," said Tharinger. "There is serious damage that can happen to people."
His bill would outright ban the practice and impose a civil fine of up to $ 10,000 for those who have a person tattooed.
Aaron Lee, an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Washington and a member of the Academy of Physicians and Eye Surgeons of the State, exposed some possible damage. The needle used for the tattoo could puncture the cornea, damage or detach the retina or introduce an infection that could only be treated by removing the eye.
Doctors sometimes transplant sclerotics or grafts to damaged areas, but there is no medical reason to mark or dye the whites of the eye with a different color, he said.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology reports that two states, Oklahoma and Indiana, and the Canadian province of Ontario have banned scleral tattoos.
Scleral tattoos are rare, but some problems have garnered much attention on the Internet, including the case of a Canadian model who lost sight of her eye following a failed session.
Lee, who also works for Veterans Affairs Puget Sound's health system, said he had never seen a scleral tattoo in his practice. But he thinks that the dangers they pose justify legislative action. Showing a warning to customers at any tattoo parlor that wants to provide one would not be enough, he told lawmakers, as it would be difficult for people to understand the risks they are taking.
"Of all the bills you have this year, I hope it's the easiest," Lee said.
It could be. Nobody took a stand against the proposal or defended the scleral tattoos at Wednesday's hearing. The committee must vote on the bill on Friday.
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