Lazy Eye? Blame Justin Bieber Hair

That hair-hanging-over-the-eye style so popular with Justin Bieber wannabes and emo kids alike may not be such a great idea: An expert described by Australia’s Daily Telegraph as a “leading optometrist” claims the haircut could cause amblyopia, commonly known as lazy eye. "If a young emo chap has a fringe covering one eye all the time, that eye won't see a lot of detail," says Andrew Hogan, a national executive member of the Optometrists Association. "And if it happens from a young age, that eye can become amblyotic."

"If you walk around with an eye patch on all day, then that eye will end up seeing more poorly than the other eye," he adds. And if the hair-eyepatch limits access to sunlight, it may also result in short-sightedness. A “veteran hairdresser” adds that the hairstyle could also cause posture problems, since it forces kids to tilt their heads to one side. "I have to wonder how they don't get a stiff neck," she says. Amusing as this story is, an opthamologist bluntly dismisses it, telling TVNZ such concerns are “silly.” (More Justin Bieber stories.)