We've heard about the dangers associated with gel manicures and breast implants, but we've never heard of a hairstyle being hazardous to our health -- until now.
Wearing side bangs, a la letting your swoopy, Nicole Richie-esque fringe cover one eye, can cause visual obscuration that can result in amblyopia, a disorder commonly referred to as lazy eye, according to Dr. Andrew Hogan, an executive member of the Optometrists Association Australia:
"If a young [person] has a fringe covering one eye all the time, that eye won't see a lot of detail. And if it happens from a young age, that eye can become amblyotic."
Dr. Hogan recently told the Daily Telegraph that the hair covering the eye acts like an eyepatch, which prevents the eye's access to sunlight and stimulation, which can weaken the eye and cause short sightedness:
"If you walk around with an eyepatch on all day, then that eye will end up seeing more poorly than the other eye."
Amblyopia, which occurs when the eye sends a blurred image to the brain causing the eye's nerve pathway to never develop, is most common in youngsters including teens but Dr. Hogan said research has shown vision can still be affected later in life.
The hairstyle has been popularized by celebs including Nicole Richie, Cameron Diaz and Jessica Alba. And though these leading ladies don't seem to show any visual impairments, we're not sure if we're willing risk our eyesight for a cool hairstyle.
