Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” video is getting a bad rap. According to CNN, the 24 year-old pop star appears to be wearing contact lenses that cover more than the pupils to include the whites of the eyes, making them appear bigger.  The lenses, known as circle lens, are extremely popular in Asia, where women often wear them for a more doe-eyed look. They’re illegal in the United States, but that’s not stopping people from buying them over the internet.

According to The New York Times, Gaga didn’t actually wear the lenses in the video – the eye-popping effect was generated by a computer. But will the style icon’s fans want to wear the lenses to copy her? Optometrists hope not. The American Optometric Association warns that “consumers who purchase lenses without a prescription or without consultation from an eye doctor put themselves at risk of serious bacterial infection, or even significant damage to the eye’s ability to function, with the potential for irreversible sight loss.”

Other risks associate with the improper use of decorative contact lenses (which you also may find around Halloween): conjunctivitis (swelling or infection of the membrane lining the eyelids), swelling, allergic reaction and corneal abrasion due to poor lens fit, reduction of sight, contrast sensitivity and other general eye and vision impairments. Ouch!

“You do not want to mess with this,” said CBS News Medical Correspondent, Dr. Jennifer Ashton, noting that a lot of these lenses were manufactured in Asia, where there are no guidelines or supervision over the way they’re made. “For any type of contact lens, you want to see an eye care professional,” she said. “You need have your eyes measured, you need to have your vision tested, you need to get a prescription, and you need to be taught how to care for them.”

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