Dr. Kevin Niksarli
For 20 years, Ulku Dogan, a wealth advisor in San Francisco, wore colored contact lenses because she longed to have blue eyes.
Seven weeks ago, her dream came true when she flew to New York and paid $12,000 for surgery to permanently change her eye color from brown to blue.
"I feel confident, very happy. It is the best investment I've ever done for myself," Dogan, 49, told Business Insider. "I wish I had done this 10 years ago."
To change her eye color, Dr. Kevin Niksarli, one of a handful of ophthalmic surgeons in the US to offer cosmetic keratopigmentation, used a laser to poke two holes in her corneas, the clear, outermost part of the eye. This creates a channel that sits atop the colored part of the eye, which is then filled with dye.
Niksarli has been performing corneal laser eye surgeries for 30 years and started offering the procedure to patients in 2023. At his clinic, Manhattan LASIK Center, patients can choose from 11 shades, including emerald green, lagoon, and honey.
First, he colored Dogan's left eye. He let her assess it and asked if she wanted to make any changes to the shade before moving on to the right eye.
"I'm like, 'Doctor, can you go a little brighter?' And then he went a little brighter, and I loved it," Dogan said.
Though keratopigmentation is not FDA-approved, interest in the procedure is growing. In a medical context, it's used to treat patients with iris loss, damage, or trauma. But TikTok videos showing before-and-after images of patients who've undergone the procedure for aesthetic reasons have racked up millions of views.
Dr. Alexander Movshovich, who in 2019 became the first doctor to offer the procedure cosmetically in the US, saw 15 patients in his first year, he told The Wall Street Journal. He's now performed the procedure over 750 times, he told Ophthalmology Times.
"This procedure is safe and that was proven in the peer review literature," Movshovich told BI in an email, noting that people with chronic eye diseases would need to have an individual consultation to assess whether they would be a good candidate.
Dr. Kevin Niksarli
The permanent procedure is painless and fast, said Dogan, who experienced no side effects other than discomfort on the first night and some light sensitivity for a few days.
Some doctors, however, argue that there isn't enough evidence that the benefits of cosmetic eye surgery outweigh the known and potential long-term risks.
In January, the American Academy of Ophthalmology warned that keratopigmentation could cause infections, light sensitivity, and damage to the cornea that could lead to cloudiness, warpage, fluid leakage, or vision loss.
"Patients contemplating these procedures for cosmetic reasons alone must weigh these serious risks against the potential gain," the AAO said.
In a 2021 study published in the Journal of Cornea and External Disease, 12 out of 40 keratopigmentation patients experienced light sensitivity in the first month. Five said the pigment faded or changed in color after 29 months, and one who had previously had Lasik, a type of vision-correction surgery, developed corneal ectasia, a condition that causes the cornea to thin and bulge outward. All of the participants said they were satisfied with the cosmetic results.
"Personally, if it were me, I would rather use colored contacts for a cosmetic benefit instead of putting myself at risk of long-term side effects that we don't even know because research hasn't even been able to go that far," Dr. Julian Prosia, a board-certified optometrist in Canada, said in a TikTok video.
In a letter sent to the AAO in July, Movshovich and three other ophthalmologists who provide or research the procedure said that many of the possible risks listed on the AAO warning "have never occurred with keratopigmentation" and are "not founded on fact."
The AAO told BI that it stands behind the evidence provided. "Everything in life has some degree of risk, including getting out of bed in the morning. The question is how common, severe or reversible are the adverse outcomes compared to potential benefits or alternatives. The calculus for medical/therapeutic applications is completely different from that for cosmetic procedures," Stephen D. McLeod, CEO of the AAO, told BI in an email.
Dr. Kevin Niksarli
Dogan had looked into iris implant surgery, in which an artificial iris made of silicone is inserted into a slit cut into the cornea and adjusted to cover the natural iris. But the procedure wasn't offered in the US at the time, and she deemed it too risky. In January, the AAO warned against iris implant surgery, which it said could cause permanent damage, vision loss, and glaucoma.
She hadn't heard about keratopigmentation until a trusted friend who's a plastic surgeon had the procedure.
"He got his eye colored, and I'm like, 'What else do I need?'" Dogan said. "It's confirmed results." She quickly booked an appointment with his surgeon.
Although Dogan was aware of the potential risks of the surgery, she chose to go ahead and is pleased with her results.
"When people ask me now, 'Do you have contact lenses?' I can say, 'No, these are my eyes,'" she said.
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will require surgery to repair an AC joint injury in his left shoulder, according to NFL.com.
Lawrence initially injured his shoulder in Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles and missed two games before returning Sunday against the Houston Texans. He was the victim of an illegal hit by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair that landed him on season-ending injured reserve.
The hit incited a brief but intense melee between the two teams after Al-Shaair was flagged on the play and later dealt a three-game suspension without pay.
Lawrence's fourth NFL season ended after a disappointing 2-10 start. It's the second year in a row Lawrence has injured his shoulder.
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Last season, he sustained a shoulder injury in a 30–12 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16. He missed the team's next game, the first he had missed in his career due to injury. He had only missed games in college at Clemson when he tested positive for COVID in 2020.
Lawrence, who signed a $275 million contract extension with the Jaguars in the offseason, will undergo the second major surgery of his life. He previously had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder before he was drafted first overall in 2021.
NFL ALL-PRO DEFENDER SEES 'BOTH SIDES' OF TREVOR LAWRENCE HIT: 'IT'S TRICKY'
The hit has become one of the most controversial moments of the 2024 NFL season, prompting backlash against Al-Shaair and sparking conversations about player safety among current and former players like Tom Brady and Stephon Gilmore.
Al-Shaair has apologized for the hit and insisted it wasn't intentional. The linebacker appealed his suspension, but the NFL upheld it.
Al-Shaair also spoke out against "racist and Islamophobic fans" in the aftermath of the public response to the incident.
"I’ve always played the game as hard as I could. Never with the intent to harm anyone and anybody that knows me knows that. My goal is to hit you as hard as I can then I pray you’re still able to get up and play the next play," he said in a statement. "And when the game is over go home to your family unharmed because it’s not personal! It’s just competition. We both are trying to do the same thing which is provide for our families!
"I genuinely didn’t see him sliding until it was too late. And it all happens in the blink of an eye. To Trevor I genuinely apologize to you for what ended up happening. Before the game we spoke and I told you how it was great to see you back out on the field and wished you well. I would never want to see any player hurt because of a hit I put on them especially one that’s deemed ‘late’ or ‘unnecessary.’ To the rest of his teammates I can definitely understand you having his back and defending him in a situation like that."
Al-Shaair was fined earlier this year after he punched Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson on the sideline during a Week 2 game. The incident occurred during a scuffle that started after Al-Shaair's hard shot on Bears quarterback Caleb Williams near the sideline wasn’t flagged.
The hit against Lawrence Sunday resulted in multiple Jaguars players pouncing on Al-Shaair in retaliation, leading to the violent melee.
Jaguars tight end Evan Engram was the first player seen pushing and shoving Al-Shaair after the hit before other Jacksonville players followed.
Head coach Doug Pederson defended his team Wednesday for its response.
"We’re not out to hurt anybody. We’re not out to ruin careers. We’re out to win a football game and play hard within the rules. That’s our job. That’s how we coach it, that’s how we play it," Pederson said at a team press conference.
"If they’re asking or suggesting we go after someone, we’re not doing that. Flat out, we are not doing that. It’s not how I coach. It’s not how I’m going to coach these teams, these players. We’re just going to go out and do our jobs. Play hard, play fast, play physical within the rules."
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans suggested Lawrence should share responsibility for the hit.
"We stand behind Azeez and everything that came from that," Ryans said. "Of course, unfortunate hit on a quarterback, but it's two-fold. A lot of the quarterbacks in this day and age, they try to take advantage of the rule where they slide late, and they try to get an extra yard.
"Now, you're a defender, and a lot of onus is on the defender. … Unfortunate that Trevor got hurt. We hope Trevor's OK. But, also, if we're sliding, you have to get down."
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Juanjo Gasull for BI
Before turning 30, John, a trader in Washington, DC, spent nearly $22,000 to fix his receding hairline, an issue that had long been on his mind.
If not for a high-paying job in finance — in private banking and now trading derivatives for an asset management firm — he said he wouldn't have taken the plunge on two hair transplants.
"I would look in the mirror, I would see my hair receding, and it would just take up some of my emotional and mental bandwidth," John told Business Insider.
After spending $18,600 on his first procedure at 25, he decided on another transplant four years later. He traveled to Turkey to cut the cost, spending $3,250 in cash, which included airport transfers, a three-night stay with breakfast in a five-star hotel, the hair transplant, and postoperative care.
His nerves kicked in when he arrived and realized the 10- to 12-hour surgery would take place at a practice that wasn't as clean, welcoming, or professional as the one back in DC.
Still, the toll of worrying about other people's perceptions of him made it a gamble worth taking.
In his previous role in private banking, John worked in sales with high-net-worth individuals and knew that the way he presented himself in meetings and pitches was "incredibly important."
After his transplants, he said he felt more confident and spent less time questioning how clients and coworkers perceived him. Instead, he used that time to focus more on his work.
"Not thinking about, 'Oh, do they notice my hair thinning?' or 'Do they notice my receding hairline?' really allowed me to free up my mental space," he added.
John isn't alone in making this type of investment in his career. Business Insider spoke to four men in the corporate world who are willing to spend a lot to look good for their jobs, investing in services from plastic surgery to hair-loss treatments and time-consuming self-care routines to gain a competitive edge.
People identified by only a first name were given pseudonyms because they feared career-related repercussions. Their identities are known to BI.
Over the past five years, it's become less taboo for men to discuss their desire to undergo some type of rejuvenation, Dr. Daniel Maman, a plastic surgeon with a practice on Park Avenue in New York, said.
"Ten years ago, it was just a topic that wasn't discussed amongst men," Maman said. "We did have some men in the practice, but it was usually quite secretive, discreet. They were very nervous about coming in, nervous about seeing others."
Now, he said, some men view getting work done as basic maintenance — just like "getting a haircut."
A 2023 survey from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons found that the number of men getting cosmetic procedures in the US increased by 8% from 2022 to 2023.
Maman, who's 46 and started getting Botox two years ago, said men in fields like finance, business, and law start coming in their mid-40s when they see signs of aging.
That's when Dan, a 45-year-old corporate lawyer from New York, first got Botox. He's gotten the procedure twice — once at 40, then at 44 — with each round costing about $1,000.
"I want to keep a groomed and youthful appearance, but I also don't mind showing my age because, again, that comes with experience and maturity and authority," Dan said. "There's a little bit of tension between the two, and the sweet spot is balancing both."
Maman said it's also very common for men in high-status fields to want to look fresher and avoid looking tired.
"Your appearance is oftentimes, for better or worse, an indication of the way you feel mentally as well," Maman said.
If you take care of your skin and dress well, people may be more likely to perceive you as someone who has their life together, he said, which benefits you professionally — selling a product or getting people to follow you as a manager can be easier if you look fresh and polished.
Anna Efetova/Getty Images
There's been a general shift toward minimally invasive procedures across generations. The trend reflects "a societal move toward treatments that provide effective yet less-intensive solutions, appealing to patients seeking quick recovery times and lower risks," the ASPS report said.
The ASPS survey found that Botox procedures increased 5.55% among male patients from 2022 to 2023, while minimally invasive treatments — which include Botox and procedures such as fillers, chemical peels, and laser hair removal — increased 7% for both men and women.
Botox is popular among men who have concerns about looking tired or sad, in part due to frown lines, Dr. Josef Hadeed, a plastic surgeon with practices in Miami and Beverly Hills, said. He said men make up around 10% to 15% of his clientele and about half of those men are corporate professionals who "want to look good in the workplace."
Hadeed said some of his clients told him they feel they could be passed over for opportunities if they don't look as good as younger colleagues — and believe they might gain a competitive edge by having work done.
Though John is only 29, he is already thinking about Botox and isn't ruling it out in the future.
"I feel like I look older than I am," he said. When he was in his early 20s, he'd take it as a compliment when he was told he looked like he was in his 30s. As he gets closer to his 30s, however, he's thinking about what he'll do to maintain a more youthful appearance down the road.
For now, John is taking a less invasive approach. He said he spends around $1,050 each quarter on fitness memberships, hair-loss-prevention medication, and supplements.
Once Darrell Spencer entered the spotlight as a senior leader launching two companies — the skincare brand Crowned Skin and the hair-care brand Kings Crowning — he also started investing more in his appearance.
The 28-year-old spends around $3,623 a quarter on skincare, hair care, self-care, and a Soho House membership, which he uses for its gym and networking opportunities. He also invests in "cosmetic skin-rejuvenation procedures" — he didn't want to get into specifics — every three to six months, which typically cost between $1,000 and $3,000 a visit.
Spencer most recently splurged on a stylist who's provided advice before conferences and speaking events. Styling for his latest event, a technology conference hosted by Alibaba, cost $9,213.
"Styling is very important because it's how I present myself and how I show myself as a young CEO," Spencer said. "Also, while I'm building these companies, I'm also building a personal brand."
"The return on investment comes from the amount of outreach I am getting," Spencer added.
urbazon/Getty Images
Having a strong personal brand opens the door to more traveling and speaking opportunities, he said. He's then able to introduce his companies to men who may never have come across his products.
"No matter how high up in the ranks you get, the way you present yourself should always be important for any man, but especially a CEO who wants to put the best foot forward and be the face of their company," he added.
Roy Cohen, a career coach and the author of "The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide," said his clients are becoming increasingly careful about what they wear and put in their bodies.
"In some industries, age is viewed as a liability," Cohen said. "I don't mean age in terms of young or old, but it's what it implies. Older can be viewed as tired, as slower, as not aware or comfortable with technology. The more you can look energetic and fit and healthy, that will offset any impression people may have."
A recent study from AARP found that about 64% of workers over 50 have either seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace. Subtle forms of discrimination observed by survey participants included being viewed as less tech-savvy, losing out on training opportunities to younger employees, and having colleagues assume they'd resist change.
"When I see gray hair — and I'm starting to see it — or wrinkles, I'm not necessarily upset by it when I am at work because I think that is generally perceived as being mature and being experienced and respected and trustworthy," said Dan, the attorney. "At the same time, a more youthful appearance is associated with having energy and being a team player and someone who performs well in a fast-paced environment."
He said he feels the pressure to maintain a well-groomed and polished appearance that strikes the delicate balance of looking experienced yet energetic. He spends $219 a month for a boutique gym to stay fit and uses red-light therapy and sauna services at a wellness center — $199 a month — to help him relax, repair muscle tissue, and reduce inflammation.
He gets most of his wellness tips from the neuroscientist Andrew Huberman's podcast, which covers science-based approaches to wellness and everyday life.
Men are also turning to apps for advice: About 35% of men have used apps for suggested beauty products to buy and how to use them, Euromonitor International's Voice of the Consumer 2023 Beauty Survey found.
Tim Peters, a 43-year-old chief marketing officer, has noticed that social media is opening the door for more conversations about self-care regimens among his close circle of male friends compared to 10 years ago. He spends about $1,464 a quarter on fitness, supplements, skincare, and personal upkeep.
"I definitely feel more comfortable asking friends, 'Hey, are you taking certain supplements, or what are you doing?'" Peters said.
Many men still remain uncomfortable discussing more extensive procedures — especially with people they work with. After all, Maman said remote work and camera-off meetings could make it easier for people to get procedures and recover from them, with colleagues none the wiser.
Remote work was partly why John took the leap on his first hair procedure because he could "afford to look like Frankenstein for a few weeks" if he kept his camera off in meetings, he said.
"There was a time period where I wasn't the prettiest," he said, adding that he was back in the office on day 10 following the second procedure when he still had some scabs and facial swelling.
Most men just don't talk about the work they get done, said Dr. Catherine Chang, a plastic surgeon and the founder of Privé Beverly Hills.
"It's really hard for me to get men to let me share their photos, which is why I don't have a ton, but they're coming in the door, which I think is the first step," she said, referring to before-and-after pictures of procedures that she provides as examples for potential clients. She told BI that men make up around 30% of her clientele.
Men may confide in professionals like Chang or Roy Cohen, the career coach, about their insecurities and anxieties around their appearance and possible procedures but may not share them openly with colleagues — especially in competitive fields where having an edge is important.
"It's a secret everyone knows about," Cohen said. "Wall Street is very competitive, so why would I share that information with somebody who could be competing with me?"
"There's swagger that often defines how people want to appear at work," he added. "You can't have swagger when people think you've been artificially enhanced."
Golf legend Tiger Woods has a goal of competing on the PGA Tour at least once a month, but he admitted Tuesday at the Hero World Challenge he’s not close to doing so.
Woods spoke with reporters prior to the event in the Bahamas, where he said he has a "long way to go" before he returns to the tour after another back surgery.
Woods underwent microdecompression surgery, which he hopes can help him get strong enough to play on the PGA Tour at least once a month.
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Woods said he was hurting badly toward the end of this year’s season, to the point he knew he needed to do something to help himself get back to normal.
"I didn’t think my back was going to go like it did this year," he said, via Yahoo Sports. "It was quite painful throughout the end of the year and, hence, I had another procedure done to it to alleviate the pain I had going down my leg.
TIGER WOODS ANNOUNCES HE WILL NOT PLAY IN TOURNAMENT HE HOSTS ANNUALLY
"So, whether my commitment going forward is once a month, yeah, I could say that all over again, but I truly don’t know."
Woods added that, for now, continuing to rehab and get stronger is the top priority. Once he feels like he can start swinging a golf club up to his standards, he will consider playing again.
The Tiger Woods Foundation benefits from the Hero World Challenge, which is why the 15-time major winner is in the Bahamas despite announcing last week he wouldn’t be participating in the field.
"I’m still not there," Woods said of being "tournament sharp." "And these are 20 of the best players in the world, and I’m not sharp enough to compete against them at this level."
Woods did battle through injury, but he was able to accomplish a small milestone this year, competing in all four majors for the first time since 2020. He finished 60th at the Masters, though he missed the cut at the PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open.
Other than those events, Woods competed in the Genesis Invitational in February, but he withdrew from the tournament midway through his second round.
Woods will turn 49 at the end of this month, but he told reporters "the fire still burns to compete."
Golf fans will wait patiently, hoping Woods can get back on the course next year.
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The Philadelphia Eagles' superb season hit a bump Sunday night when Brandon Graham tore a triceps, an injury that ended his season.
The 36-year-old edge rusher acknowledged his career may be coming to an end with the injury, saying after the Eagles' win Sunday night that even though he doesn't want to go out this way, "it's pointing towards that."
Graham kept his composure when speaking to reporters Sunday night in Los Angeles, but he unleashed his emotions during a radio interview Tuesday.
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Graham said he was "trying to keep it in" to speak, and the hosts of WIP radio in Philly reiterated to Graham he was letting "nobody" down because of the injury.
"I’m just more hurt on how we’ve been coming every week and trying to defy the odds and being with it and being with them. I'm still with them, I know that. I just needed this right here," Graham said on the show. "I needed to get this out. It’s been awhile since I’ve cried, man.
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"I'm hurting a little bit, because, man, for the 15 years I've been here, and people doubting me, this was a big one for me, and I think I accomplished a lot this year. I know it's God's plan. I'm trusting it. That's where I'm at. I needed this, man. I needed this in a big way."
After the game, Graham said he was "content" if he were to have played his last snap, but he still wants to play.
Graham won the 2018 Super Bowl with the Birds, with whom he's spent his entire career since being the 13th overall pick in 2010 out of Michigan.
He made his lone Pro Bowl in 2020, but his best season came in 2022, when he recorded 11 sacks after playing in just two games the previous year. He finished fourth in the 2022 Comeback Player of the Year vote.
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