Lady Gaga’s sold out Toronto appearances have focused attention on the newest fashion craze among teen-aged girls — “circle” contact lenses that imitate the wide-eyed “manga” look affected by the pop star in her Bad Romance video.

They can be purchased for as little as $20 on the Internet.

But what the eager buyers don’t know — but should know — is these contact lenses can lead to eye infections and physical damage.

Users never learn the basics — how to clean them and how to properly insert and remove the lenses from the eye.

Even more important, there’s evidence these fans share different colours between friends. Sharing contact lenses — as though they were blouses or shoes — further increases the risk of infection. In rare instances, damage from improper use might lead to irreversible sight loss.

In fact, the risks of buying contact lenses online goes well beyond Lady Gaga’s little monsters.

Buying contacts online — as though they were DVDs or books — positions them as a commodity, just another consumer product.

But contact lenses are not a fashion accessory. The College of Optometrists of Ontario recommends everyone seek competent, licensed medical care and advice for the proper prescription and use of contact lenses, which are a medical device.

The Ontario government needs to maintain the current laws that protect the public from unsafe dispensing of contact lenses rather than follow British Columbia’s lead in de-regulating the eye wear industry.

As of last May, B.C. became the only jurisdiction in North America where it is legal to dispense prescription eyeglasses or contacts from an unsupervised sight test by an optician.

Contact lenses require a professionally-written prescription and ongoing support from a health care professional who can provide one-on-one information and advice about safe use, as well as keep tabs on general eye health.

As for Lady Gaga, most reports indicate she herself was not wearing “circle lenses” in the video — that big-eyed look was achieved through digital enhancement.