Trendy haircuts could result in lazy eyes, expert warns

Trendy haircuts that obscure one eye could have some long-term heath hazards, according to an optometrist.

Andrew Hogan, an executive member of Optometrists Association Australia, warned amblyopia -- the medical term for lazy eye -- could result from obstructed vision caused by hair.

"If a young [person] has a fringe covering one eye all the time, that eye won't see a lot of detail," Hogan said.

"And if it happens from a young age, that eye can become amblyotic."

Hogan said the most vulnerable age for visual development is birth to seven years old, but he said research has shown vision could still be affected at later stages.

Hogan said a curtain of hair over one eye could actually act like an eye patch, limiting the eye's access to both sunlight and sensory stimulation.

He said recent research had shown a lack of direct sunlight results in short sightedness.

And hair constantly hanging over one eye could result in sensory deprivation that could weaken one eye and lead to amblyopia.

Amblyopia occurs when the nerve pathway from one eye to the brain does not develop because the abnormal eye sends a blurred image to the brain.

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