Lavinia Mesquita, a Brazilian tattoo artist and content creator known online as Lav Medusa, went viral in late May after sharing the unexpected consequences of having both of her sclerae (the white part of the eyes) tattooed.
The procedure has negatively affected nearly every aspect of her life, leaving her struggling to find a job, facing difficulties in dating, and even causing her children to be frightened by her appearance.
Image credits: Instagram/lavmedusa
Mesquita also made a number of alarming claims about her health, including that she sees the world in black and white, produces black tears, can no longer read or write, and fears she may eventually lose her sight.
Image credits: Instagram/lavmedusa
To better understand which of these concerns are medically plausible, Bored Panda spoke to Dr. Ben LaHood, a senior ophthalmologist and clinical lecturer based in Adelaide, Australia.
“The sensitive contents of the eye that we see with can be permanently damaged,” he said.
#1 She Can't Get A Job
Difficulty finding a job due to her eye tattoos was the first challenge Mesquita listed, explaining that she was unaware this would be a problem.
“I did it completely without thinking, like tattooing my face,” she explained.
According to Tattotopia, 76% of people believe visible tattoos can hurt a candidate's chances during a job interview.
Women, in particular, face greater challenges when it comes to visible tattoos in professional settings, with around 15% reporting workplace discrimination linked to their body art.
In tattoo culture, tattoos on the face, neck, and arms are often referred to as "job stoppers.”
Mesquita checks all these boxes.
“Even normal people aren’t managing to find jobs these days—imagine someone with an eye tattoo like that,” a netizen said.
“I did it completely without thinking, like tattooing my face,” she explained.
According to Tattotopia, 76% of people believe visible tattoos can hurt a candidate's chances during a job interview.
Women, in particular, face greater challenges when it comes to visible tattoos in professional settings, with around 15% reporting workplace discrimination linked to their body art.
In tattoo culture, tattoos on the face, neck, and arms are often referred to as "job stoppers.”
Mesquita checks all these boxes.
“Even normal people aren’t managing to find jobs these days—imagine someone with an eye tattoo like that,” a netizen said.
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#2 She Claims She Sees Everything In Black And White
While claiming that she sees the world only in black and white after getting her eyes tattooed, Mesquita likened her vision to that of dogs, which are known to perceive the world primarily in shades of yellow, blue, and gray.
However, existing ophthalmic research suggests that black-and-white vision would be an unusual consequence of scleral tattooing alone, as the procedure is not known to directly affect color perception.
Dr. LaHood, who specializes in laser vision correction, cataract surgery, and other ophthalmic procedures, corroborated this in an exclusive conversation with us.
“Our perception of color starts with retinal cone cells, which are on the inner layer of the eye, whereas tattooing of the eyeball should only impact the outer shell of the eye,” he said.
He added that if the tattooing process or complications arising from it extended beyond the eye's outer layers—for example, “if a needle and ink were to penetrate the globe or if inflammation from the tattoo process affected the internal structures of the eye, then it could impact one’s perception of color."
In her video, Mesquita noted that she had the “middle” part of her eye tattooed, in addition to the white portion.
This may help explain the changes in her color perception.
However, existing ophthalmic research suggests that black-and-white vision would be an unusual consequence of scleral tattooing alone, as the procedure is not known to directly affect color perception.
Dr. LaHood, who specializes in laser vision correction, cataract surgery, and other ophthalmic procedures, corroborated this in an exclusive conversation with us.
“Our perception of color starts with retinal cone cells, which are on the inner layer of the eye, whereas tattooing of the eyeball should only impact the outer shell of the eye,” he said.
He added that if the tattooing process or complications arising from it extended beyond the eye's outer layers—for example, “if a needle and ink were to penetrate the globe or if inflammation from the tattoo process affected the internal structures of the eye, then it could impact one’s perception of color."
In her video, Mesquita noted that she had the “middle” part of her eye tattooed, in addition to the white portion.
This may help explain the changes in her color perception.
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#3 Her Tears Are Black
“When I cry, I cry black tears, and people are afraid of me,” Mesquita said.
According to Dr. LaHood, tears taking on the color of the ink injected into the eyes is “common in the early stages” following the procedure.
“Ink is usually injected beneath the superficial layers of the covering of the eye. This is unlike the typical skin tattooing technique that we are used to where a needle makes a puncture and ink penetrates the skin.
“Tattooing of the globe occurs when ink is deposited deep into the layers covering the sclera. This means that liquid ink can potentially leak out of the injection site.”
Dr. LaHood had a patient of his own who got their sclera tattooed. They, too, developed black tears in the immediate aftermath of the procedure.
Mesquita’s experience, however, appears to be long-standing. She claimed in her video that despite frequent crying, the black tears have continued.
She further asked viewers, somewhat hopefully, whether excessive crying would ultimately “eliminate all the ink from my eyes?”
The answer to that is simply no.
According to Dr. LaHood, tears taking on the color of the ink injected into the eyes is “common in the early stages” following the procedure.
“Ink is usually injected beneath the superficial layers of the covering of the eye. This is unlike the typical skin tattooing technique that we are used to where a needle makes a puncture and ink penetrates the skin.
“Tattooing of the globe occurs when ink is deposited deep into the layers covering the sclera. This means that liquid ink can potentially leak out of the injection site.”
Dr. LaHood had a patient of his own who got their sclera tattooed. They, too, developed black tears in the immediate aftermath of the procedure.
Mesquita’s experience, however, appears to be long-standing. She claimed in her video that despite frequent crying, the black tears have continued.
She further asked viewers, somewhat hopefully, whether excessive crying would ultimately “eliminate all the ink from my eyes?”
The answer to that is simply no.
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#4 Others Can't Tell What Or Who She's Looking At
Mesquita said one reason she regrets getting her eyes tattooed is that when she tries to flirt with someone, “the person never knows if I’m looking at them or looking past them.”
“There is no way to know where I’m looking, guys; there’s no way. It's all black,” she lamented.
"Life took thousands and thousands of years in mutations to evolve into the 'white' eye, precisely because we can identify where the person is looking and that's hugely advantageous. This person went and rewound millennia. Sad," a netizen said in response.
“No one forced you to follow a tacky trend. Now deal with it,” another remarked.
“There is no way to know where I’m looking, guys; there’s no way. It's all black,” she lamented.
"Life took thousands and thousands of years in mutations to evolve into the 'white' eye, precisely because we can identify where the person is looking and that's hugely advantageous. This person went and rewound millennia. Sad," a netizen said in response.
“No one forced you to follow a tacky trend. Now deal with it,” another remarked.
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#5 People Assume She's A Demon Worshipper Despite Being Evangelical
Mesquita said that people assuming she “is a demon” or “a satanist” based solely on her appearance is one of the things that upsets her most.
“I am a believer,” she added.
Mesquita claimed to be an evangelical Christian.
For those unfamiliar, Christianity is the broader religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, while Evangelical Christianity is a branch that places special emphasis on a personal relationship with Jesus and on actively sharing the faith with others.
A netizen sided with those who allegedly consider Mesquita a demon worshipper, saying, “This should serve as a lesson for anyone considering getting a similar tattoo.”
“The eye is sacred. Only mess with it in case of need,” said another.
“I am a believer,” she added.
Mesquita claimed to be an evangelical Christian.
For those unfamiliar, Christianity is the broader religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, while Evangelical Christianity is a branch that places special emphasis on a personal relationship with Jesus and on actively sharing the faith with others.
A netizen sided with those who allegedly consider Mesquita a demon worshipper, saying, “This should serve as a lesson for anyone considering getting a similar tattoo.”
“The eye is sacred. Only mess with it in case of need,” said another.
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#6 She Cares A Lot About What Others Think
Another reason Mesquita regrets her eye tattoos is that, according to her, she “cares a lot about people’s opinions.”
“The fact that people don’t like my appearance hurts me a lot,” she expressed.
Despite Mesquita opening up about her insecurity, social media users continued to criticize her look.
“Pitch black eyes are unnerving,” one wrote, while another said, “There are so many easy ways to stand out—dye your hair purple, wear white on Labor Day. Just don’t do this stupid thing.”
Some users expressed skepticism about Mesquita’s claim that she is bothered by people’s opinions, arguing that anyone with tattoos like hers would have to be relatively unconcerned with public response.
“No way that someone who tattoos their eyes back is going to care about someone’s opinions,” one said.
“The fact that people don’t like my appearance hurts me a lot,” she expressed.
Despite Mesquita opening up about her insecurity, social media users continued to criticize her look.
“Pitch black eyes are unnerving,” one wrote, while another said, “There are so many easy ways to stand out—dye your hair purple, wear white on Labor Day. Just don’t do this stupid thing.”
Some users expressed skepticism about Mesquita’s claim that she is bothered by people’s opinions, arguing that anyone with tattoos like hers would have to be relatively unconcerned with public response.
“No way that someone who tattoos their eyes back is going to care about someone’s opinions,” one said.
#7 She Can't Read Or Write, Including Road Signs And Traffic Lights
Mesquita said her eye tattoos have left her partially vision-impaired and made it impossible for her to read or write.
“I can’t see enough for that,” she said, adding, “Not even the signs on the street, not even the traffic light.”
The influencer shared that she has to rely on a close friend or family member to help her read, write, and use her cellphone.
Dr. LaHood weighed in on this claim, explaining that “loss of daily function and independence” can occur with any eye tattoo because the procedure carries the risk of “damaging the most delicate structure” of the eye—the retina.
“Think of it like the film of a camera. If this is permanently damaged by infection or inflammation, then the vision from that eye can be compromised,” he said.
“I can’t see enough for that,” she said, adding, “Not even the signs on the street, not even the traffic light.”
The influencer shared that she has to rely on a close friend or family member to help her read, write, and use her cellphone.
Dr. LaHood weighed in on this claim, explaining that “loss of daily function and independence” can occur with any eye tattoo because the procedure carries the risk of “damaging the most delicate structure” of the eye—the retina.
“Think of it like the film of a camera. If this is permanently damaged by infection or inflammation, then the vision from that eye can be compromised,” he said.
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#8 Her Children Get Scared Looking At Her
Mesquita claimed that her tattoos have made her children fearful of her appearance.
She said they dream about her eyes and “wake up in the middle of the night crying.” When she wakes up to comfort them, “that’s when they cry even more.”
“This broke my heart,” a social media user said in response to the claim.
While Mesquita did not disclose how many children she has or how old they are, her Instagram account features several pictures of a toddler.
In the posts, contrary to Mesquita’s claim, though, the child appears comfortable in her company, looking relaxed in her arms while bottle-feeding and even giggling during a beach vacation with her.
She said they dream about her eyes and “wake up in the middle of the night crying.” When she wakes up to comfort them, “that’s when they cry even more.”
“This broke my heart,” a social media user said in response to the claim.
While Mesquita did not disclose how many children she has or how old they are, her Instagram account features several pictures of a toddler.
In the posts, contrary to Mesquita’s claim, though, the child appears comfortable in her company, looking relaxed in her arms while bottle-feeding and even giggling during a beach vacation with her.
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#9 She Says She'll Go Blind
At one point in her video, Mesquita expressed fear that she could go completely blind because of her tattoos.
We asked Dr. LaHood whether complete blindness could result from eye tattooing and how common such a complication might be.
“It is difficult to quantify the risk as an ophthalmologist,” he said before adding that outcomes depend heavily on “the skill and sterility of the operator and facility respectively.”
According to the medical expert, the most common mistakes that could lead to vision loss include “needle penetration into the globe causing damage to structures or introducing infection” and “patients having an unexpected inflammatory reaction to the dye used during the tattoo process.”
Mesquita did not report experiencing either of these complications in her video.
We asked Dr. LaHood whether complete blindness could result from eye tattooing and how common such a complication might be.
“It is difficult to quantify the risk as an ophthalmologist,” he said before adding that outcomes depend heavily on “the skill and sterility of the operator and facility respectively.”
According to the medical expert, the most common mistakes that could lead to vision loss include “needle penetration into the globe causing damage to structures or introducing infection” and “patients having an unexpected inflammatory reaction to the dye used during the tattoo process.”
Mesquita did not report experiencing either of these complications in her video.
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#10 She Believes She's Going To Hell
At the end of her video listing the reasons she regrets getting her eyes tattooed, Mesquita said she views her actions as severe enough to secure a place in hell.
Netizens, however, disagreed with her assessment.
"I don't know how much of your story is true, but even for the terrible mistake you made, Jesus Christ paid the price on the Cross and tore that sentence apart,” one said.
“There is no sin that the blood of Christ cannot wash away," another added.
Despite the stereotypes surrounding cosmetic eye tattoos, Dr. LaHood noted that eye tattooing is not inherently negative and can serve legitimate medical purposes.
“Areas of the cornea can be tattooed to block light entering the eye through defects in the iris that are bothersome from trauma or previous surgery,” he said.
He added that some people develop opaque scarring on the cornea, which can make them self-conscious about their appearance.
“Tattooing of the cornea can disguise this too.”
Netizens, however, disagreed with her assessment.
"I don't know how much of your story is true, but even for the terrible mistake you made, Jesus Christ paid the price on the Cross and tore that sentence apart,” one said.
“There is no sin that the blood of Christ cannot wash away," another added.
Despite the stereotypes surrounding cosmetic eye tattoos, Dr. LaHood noted that eye tattooing is not inherently negative and can serve legitimate medical purposes.
“Areas of the cornea can be tattooed to block light entering the eye through defects in the iris that are bothersome from trauma or previous surgery,” he said.
He added that some people develop opaque scarring on the cornea, which can make them self-conscious about their appearance.
“Tattooing of the cornea can disguise this too.”
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