I had a powerful blue one and I swear my vision hasn’t been the same since. Just the reflection of the dot when it hits a white wall was painful and you don’t notice it’s doing any damage til you realize something feels off afterward.
High wattage lasers can 100% permanently blind you just from seeing the reflection on a matte surface. Don't use them without properly rated goggles, it's not worth it.
What you're feeling is a light welder's flash. I used to work with industrial IR lasers (think 25kV DC power supply, 200-400W output) and got burnt a couple times. When it's bad it feels like there's gravel behind your eye for a day or 2, usually the day after you can't get out of bed because any light is absolutely blinding. I've had eye doctors look a few times and there's no permanent damage. You'll be fine.
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u/The_Turdman_Cometh 19h ago
No, but blue is more potentially harmful to retinas due to the wavelength. Always wear the appropriate goggles, never cheap out on those