Volvox

Why Are My Brown Eyes Turning Green?

• Pieter Maas
• 16.01.2023
• 0
• 57

Why do my brown eyes turn green in the sun? – In sunlights, the pupil constricts and the iris stretches and the melanin pigments also stretch over a larger area and the color of the eye appears to become lighter in color. |

Why do my eyes go from brown to green?

Why do eyes sometimes appear to change color? It is amazing the number of questions out there about eye color. Eye color is taught as this wonderfully simple genetic trait and then almost everyone quickly comes up with all sorts of exceptions. The bottom line is that the types of changes you all describe are widely reported.

• For example, in one study, 15% of Caucasians had some lightening or darkening in eye color at puberty.1 In fact, this study showed there was probably some unknown gene or genes involved in the eye color change.
• And it’s also pretty common for eye color to appear to change more often, perhaps looking darker one day and lighter the next.

This is often due to lighting conditions, what you’re wearing, and other things that just affect how people perceive the color. What is surprising to me is that eye color doesn’t change more often. Eye color is determined by lots of different genes, but it all boils down to how much pigment you have in the front part of your iris at any one time.

Lots of pigment means brown eyes, a little bit, blue eyes. Other colors come from intermediate amounts of pigment. The genes involved in eye color determine how much pigment gets made, how quickly it is degraded and where in your iris to put it. In other words, eye color is an ongoing process that is not necessarily set in stone.

So all that has to happen to change eye color is to change the final amount of pigment in your eye. How could that happen? Remember, genes are just recipes for proteins. When eye color genes are on, proteins that make and degrade eye color pigment are made.

The amount of pigment in your eye is determined by how good these proteins are at their job and how many of these proteins are doing their jobs. For example, you get the same amount of pigment if you make a little bit of a good protein or lots of a mediocre protein. The most likely explanation for a change in eye color is to change the amount of pigment producing proteins made.

There are lots of cases where something in the environment changes the amount of protein that is made. The color of a person’s clothing can “bring out” their eyes, making them appear a different color. Now, back to your questions. An eye color change at puberty doesn’t seem far fetched considering all the genes that get turned on and off when a child turns into an adult.

• In fact, maybe the 15% of people whose eyes change color at puberty have an eye color gene that responds to the sex hormones associated with puberty.
• As for eyes changing color at various times as an adult, something in the environment could affect one or more of the eye color genes.
• There are lots of examples of things in the environment influencing how much a gene is turned on.

Stress, for example, is known to affect genes important for the immune system. Not only that, our perception of someone’s eye color can be affected by things like lighting conditions, or even the color of clothing that the person is wearing. In this case their eye color might look quite different, but the pigment in their eyes has not actually changed.

1. I hope this helped.
2. The bottom line is that eye color is the result of a constant process of pigment creation and destruction.
3. As I was writing this, I began to wonder if most people have small changes in their eye color genes but that it is unnoticeable.
4. For example, my blue eyes are most likely due to defective eye color proteins.

So if their expression were changed, there would be no change in eye color. The same probably holds true for dark brown eyes where any changes are too subtle to notice. It may be that only those on the cusp with, for example, hazel color eyes can notice these subtle changes.

Can your eyes change from brown to green as you get older?

The Claim: Eye Color Can Change as We Age (Published 2005) Really?

Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share. Give this article Give this article Give this article

THE CLAIM – Eye color can change as we age. THE FACTS – It can bend light, bring the world into focus, and next to the human brain may be our most complicated organ. But for many people the most intriguing feature of the human eye is simply its color. Can it really change for no apparent reason? In most people, the answer is no.

Eye color fully matures in infancy and remains the same for life. But in a small percentage of adults, eye color can naturally become either noticeably darker or lighter with age. What determines eye color is the pigment melanin. Eyes that have a lot of it in the connective tissue at the front of the iris, called the stroma, are darker, while those that have less tend to be lighter.

The levels of melanin generally remain the same throughout life, but a few things can change them permanently. The first is a handful of ocular diseases like pigmentary glaucoma. Another is a condition called heterochromia, or multicolored eyes, which affects about 1 percent of the population and is often caused by traumatic injuries.

1. An example of this can be seen in the rock star David Bowie, who attributes his contrasting eye colors, hazel and light blue, to a blow to the face as a child.
2. The third cause appears to be genetics.
3. A study in 1997, for example, looked at thousands of twins and found that 10 percent to 15 percent of the subjects had gradual changes in eye color throughout adolescence and adulthood, which occurred at nearly identical rates in identical twins.

THE BOTTOM LINE – Eyes can change color in some people because of genetics or injury. ANAHAD O’CONNOR Really? [email protected] : The Claim: Eye Color Can Change as We Age (Published 2005)

Can brown eyes appear green?

How Are They Similar and Different? – Brown and hazel eyes are often put into the same category. In certain types of light, especially low light, hazel eyes can appear to be light brown. However, hazel eyes are far more diverse compared to brown eyes. When eyes are hazel, they are brown mixed with amber and green.

In some cases, there are shades of gray, blue, and gold within the iris too. Brown eyes may also have some green in them. However, it is not nearly as noticeable as it is when someone has hazel eyes. With brown and hazel eyes, the other colors may appear as rings or flecks of color. This is part of what makes these eyes so distinctive.

Due to the differences, no set of brown or hazel eyes is like those of another person.

Why are my brown eyes turning hazel?

Can the Eyes Change Color? – In the eye, the iris muscle expands and contracts to control the size of the pupil. It does this to allow more light into the eye in poor lighting conditions. It grows smaller in bright light to avoid damage to the photoreceptors in the eye.

• When you focus your vision on a near object, the pupil similarly shrinks (much like a lens in a camera).
• As the pupil changes its size, the pigments in the iris can spread or come together, which causes changes in eye color.
• You might have heard it said that eye colors change with mood, but the truth behind that is the iris is responding to emotional and hormonal changes.

This can cause eyes to seem lighter or darker in color as a response to an emotional situation, but this would not be a full change in the color of the eyes. In as much as 15 percent of the white population (or people who tend to have lighter eye colors), eye color changes with age,

1. People who had deep brown eyes during their youth and adulthood may experience a lightening of their eye pigment as they enter middle age, giving them hazel eyes.
2. Conversely, someone born with hazel eyes might see their irises get darker as they grow older.
3. Eye colors do slightly change with age, but this should be a gradual transition.

If your eye color changes dramatically, even if there is no corresponding difference in vision, you could consult an eye doctor to ensure that there are no medical conditions behind the unexpected change. Fuch’s heterochromic iridiocyclisits, pigmentary glaucoma, or Horner’s syndrome are some issues that can signal their development by a sudden change in eye color.

Why are my eyes getting greener as I get older?

What Causes Eye Color to Change As You Get Older? – Pigment melanin is what determines eye color. The more connective tissue at the front of the iris called the stroma, the darker the eyes are. Eyes with less connective tissue tend to be of a lighter color.

• For many people, their melanin levels will remain the same their entire life, meaning that their eye color stays the same.
• Sometimes, a change in eye color is just a simple part of aging and is harmless.
• However, there are a few things that can permanently change melanin levels.
• Ocular diseases, such as pigmentary glaucoma, can change melanin levels.

Genetics could also cause eye color to change over time. Heterochromia, also known as multi-colored eyes, can cause eye color to change over time as well. This disease is often caused by a traumatic injury. Around 1% of the population has heterochromatic eyes,

The answer is, while most people will have the same eye color throughout their entire life, some people will notice an eye color change with age, Some people find their eye color to be very significant and take this information seriously, whereas other people don’t care what color their eye is, as long as they can still see.

Contact Michigan Eye Institute today if you notice a change in eye color or to learn more about keeping your eyes healthy! Book an appointment

Why do my brown eyes turn green when I cry?

When I cry my eyes turn green? – Apparently it’s a case of blood pressure and flow, which alters the colour, not dissimilar to when embarrassment or anger makes your face go red. In embarrassed or excited situation, your blood goes faster through the veins. And then when you calm down, the blood then goes slower. |

Why are my brown eyes getting lighter?

What Causes Eye Color to Change? Changes in eye color can be as captivating as they are concerning. By understanding what can cause eye colors to change, you can determine if what you’re experiencing is typical or if you should see a visionary eye doctor.

Here is a look at common causes of eye color changes. Natural Age-Related Eye Color Changes One of the most common situations that leads to changes in eye color occurs in children. When a baby is born, their eyes are usually lighter or bluer. Mainly, this is because a newborn hasn’t had sun exposure, so the melanin in their eyes isn’t fully developed.

As they are exposed to light, melanin production increases, causing the color of their eyes to shift. However, eye color changes can also occur as a person ages. Those with lighter color eyes – especially Caucasians – may see their eyes lighten over time.

1. The pigment slow degrades over time, resulting in less color.
2. Other Situations Leading to Eye Color Changes Sun Exposure Since melanin plays a role in eye color, exposure to the sun can lead to eye color changes.
3. Usually, it requires prolonged exposure and results in the irises darkening.
4. Medical Treatments Some medications may alter eye color.

One prime example was a name-brand eyelash growth serum that was available by prescription. While the side effect was rare and usually required the drops to be applied to the eye – not the lash line, as it was meant to be used – a chemical in the serum could have the ability to impact eye pigments.

It’s also possible for other medications and surgeries to result in eye color changes. If that’s a potential side effect of a treatment, your eye care specialist will discuss it in advance. Nearby Colors In some cases, it may look like your eye color has changed when, in reality, your eyes are the same color.

Changes to the size of your pupils can cause your eye color to appear slightly different. Partially, this is because your limbal ring (the darker ring on the outside of the iris) is closer to the pupil’s edge. This can make your eye color appear darker because less of the iris is visible.

1. Additionally, other colors near your eyes may impact how your eye color is perceived.
2. For example, your clothing, makeup, hair, and glasses frame color may all influence the apparent hue of your irises.
3. However, most of that is an illusion.
4. When a different color is near your eye, slight reflections of those shades might make your eye color seem different, even though it isn’t.

In a similar vein, changing the colors that are near your eyes may create more or less contrast than is usually there, making the hue seem stronger or weaker due to an adjustment in the comparison. Similarly, crying, allergies, or other activities that cause the sclera – the white part of the eye – to redden may make the irises seem slightly different.

Again, this is because the area near the iris changed hues, not because the iris itself is a new color. Medical Conditions There are medical conditions that can lead to shifts in eye color. Heterochromia – a condition that causes a person to have two different colored irises or more than one color in a single iris – may result in color changes.

Horner’s syndrome may cause the eyes to lighten. Pigmentary glaucoma and Fuch’s heterochromic uveitis – an inflammatory condition – may also result in changes to the iris. The same goes for eye melanoma, a type of cancer. Consult a Reputable Eye Doctor The eye care specialists in Buffalo, NY at ECVA take the safety and health of our patients’ eyes seriously.

Why am I losing the color in my eyes?

Causes – Seeing colors across the light spectrum is a complex process that begins with your eyes’ ability to respond to different wavelengths of light. Light, which contains all color wavelengths, enters your eye through the cornea and passes through the lens and transparent, jellylike tissue in your eye (vitreous humor) to wavelength-sensitive cells (cones) at the back of your eye in the macular area of the retina.

The cones are sensitive to short (blue), medium (green) or long (red) wavelengths of light. Chemicals in the cones trigger a reaction and send the wavelength information through your optic nerve to your brain. If your eyes are normal, you perceive color. But if your cones lack one or more wavelength-sensitive chemicals, you will be unable to distinguish the colors red, green or blue.

Color blindness has several causes:

Inherited disorder. Inherited color deficiencies are much more common in males than in females. The most common color deficiency is red-green, with blue-yellow deficiency being much less common. It is rare to have no color vision at all. You can inherit a mild, moderate or severe degree of the disorder. Inherited color deficiencies usually affect both eyes, and the severity doesn’t change over your lifetime. Diseases. Some conditions that can cause color deficits are sickle cell anemia, diabetes, macular degeneration, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, Parkinson’s disease, chronic alcoholism and leukemia. One eye may be more affected than the other, and the color deficit may get better if the underlying disease can be treated. Certain medications. Some medications can alter color vision, such as some drugs that treat certain autoimmune diseases, heart problems, high blood pressure, erectile dysfunction, infections, nervous disorders and psychological problems. Aging. Your ability to see colors deteriorates slowly as you age. Chemicals. Exposure to some chemicals in the workplace, such as carbon disulfide and fertilizers, may cause loss of color vision.

Dec.28, 2019

What is the rarest eye color hazel?

Most Common and Rarest Eye Colors – The conventional eye colors have generally been thought of as:

BrownBlueHazel (sometimes grouped with amber)Green

Of those four, green is the rarest. It shows up in about 9% of Americans but only 2% of the world’s population. Hazel/amber is the next rarest of these. Blue is the second most common and brown tops the list with 45% of the U.S. population and possibly almost 80% worldwide.

Why do people’s eyes turn green?

Green Eyes Trivia – 10 Fun Facts About Green Eyes –

Green eyes are very rare. Green eyes are the most rare eye color in the world. Only about 2 percent of people in the world have naturally green eyes. Green eyes are a genetic mutation that results in low levels of melanin, though more melanin than in blue eyes. Green eyes don’t actually have any color. That’s right – strange but true! While green eyes appear that lovely shade of emerald to the outside observer, the irises themselves have no actual pigment. Similar to blue eyes, the color we perceive is a result of the lack of melanin in the iris.

The less melanin in the iris, the more light scatters out, which makes the eyes look green. Ever heard from someone that their eyes change color? Turns out, it’s somewhat true. Changes in light make lighter eyes look like they are changing colors, sort of like a chameleon. Where in the world are the most green eyes? The highest concentration of people with green eyes is found in Ireland, Scotland, and northern Europe.

In fact, in Ireland and Scotland, more than three-fourths of the population has blue or green eyes – 86 percent! Many factors go into having green eyes. Sixteen separate genes have been identified as contributing to eye color. So, no matter what eye color your parents have, yours could end up being just about any color. Green eyes naturally occur in all races of people. Liqian, China is a hot spot for green eyes. There is a village in China called Liqian, in which two-thirds of all inhabitants today have green eyes and blonde hair. Green eyes and blonde hair are a rare combination. The high concentration of green-eyed, blond-haired people in Liqian is thought to be linked to their ancestry. Can green eye color affect personality? This particular topic may all be in the eye of the beholder (punny, huh?). There is no scientific data to prove that eye color is a factor in determining personality, and we will go on record as saying eye color does not affect personality.

However, just for fun – here are some personality traits that have historically been associated with green eyes in fables and folklore: intelligence, passion, mysteriousness, creativity, jealousy, and great leadership skills. Grab your shades. Because green eyes have less melanin than brown eyes, people with green eyes are more likely to be extra sensitive to UV rays.

The more melanin, the better protection from the sun – eye pigment literally protects the retina. Like blue-eyed people, those with green eyes are more sensitive to sudden increases in light. Green eyes are popular in pop culture. Green eyes may be the most rare of all natural eye colors, but you’ll see green peepers all over the silver screen. Green eyes are also incredibly popular in books. Some well-known green-eyed characters in books and movies include: • Harry Potter – from the Harry Potter book series by J.K.

Rowling • Mary Jane Watson – The Amazing Spider-Man comics • Batgirl – DC Comics • Catwoman – DC Comics • Loki – Marvel Comics • Petyr Baelish – A Song of Fire & Ice by George R.R. Martin • Scar – The Lion King • Jane Eyre – Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte • Rapunzel – Disney’s Tangled • Asami Sato – Legend of Korra Green eyes don’t affect LASIK candidacy.

No significant link has been found between eye color and quality of vision. Green-eyed people can have myopia (nearsightedness), astigmatism, or hyperopia (farsightedness), just like people with any other eye color. Green-eyed people can also have LASIK vision correction,

Your Eyes Deserve the Best We hope you enjoyed our top 10 trivia facts about green eyes. Whatever your eye color, you’ll no doubt agree vision is one of the most treasured senses. Your eyes are your window to the world. That’s why you shouldn’t settle for anything less than your best vision possible.

If you’re currently dealing with the nonstop hassle of foggy glasses or uncomfortable contacts, give our world-class experts a call. Kugler Vision has been voted Best of Omaha #1 LASIK provider for four consecutive years, and we’d love for you to come in and see the Kugler Vision difference for yourself.

Book your EyeAnalysis assessment today online, or call us at 402-558-2211 to learn about your LASIK options. See you soon! Lance Kugler, MD, is a specialist in LASIK and vision correction surgery and CEO of Kugler Vision, A proud Omaha native, he is passionate about improving lives through clear vision. Dr. Kugler serves on several national boards, and his practice is recognized internationally as a center of excellence.

Dr. Kugler is one of the original founders of the Refractive Surgery Alliance, an international organization comprised of over 350 of the world’s leading vision correction surgeons; he also served as its first president. In 2019, Dr. Kugler was selected as a TEDx speaker, and delivered a talk in Omaha about the worldwide epidemic of nearsightedness and refractive solutions.

Dr. Kugler is an Associate Professor of Refractive Surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Truhlsen Eye Institute, has been published in many medical journals, and participates in numerous clinical studies to advance the field of vision correction surgery.

What do green eyes say about your health?

Does Eye Color Reveal Health Risks? – Vision Center Poets romanticize eyes as the window to the soul, but they could more accurately be viewed as windows to our health. Those enchanting green eyes could be a sign of a higher risk of eye cancer. And the person with those meltingly chocolate eyes might have a faster reaction time than someone with blue eyes, according to research out of Kentucky.

Blue eyes, “Clinically speaking, people with blue or light-colored irises do tend to be more light-sensitive,” says Ruth Williams, MD, president-elect of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and an at the Wheaton Eye Clinic in Chicago. “This is likely due to the sparsity of light-absorbing pigment in the eye.” The more pigment you have, the less light gets through the iris. Gray, green, and blue eyes. Lighter-colored eyes may mean an increased risk for cancer. Because lighter eyes have less pigment to protect them from harmful ultraviolet rays, it’s true that light-eyed people have a greater lifetime risk for of the uvea, the middle layer of the eye, than their dark-eyed peers. “People with light iris color need to be diligent in wearing UV-protected sunglasses,” advises Dr. Williams. Melanoma of the uvea is an extremely rare cancer that affects the eye in about six of every million adults in the United States each year, and it is estimated that the incidence of the disease in black Americans, who are usually brown-eyed, is less than one-eighth the incidence in white Americans. In addition, although this is not directly related to vision, people with gray, green, or blue eyes tend to be fair-skinned and are at greater risk for in general. Brown eyes. A study done at the University of Louisville showed that people with brown eyes have slightly better reaction times when participating in certain athletic activities than light-eyed people. However, don’t use this small study to rationalize picking only brown-eyed people for your softball team. “In my experience, I couldn’t say we can judge performance based on eye color,” says Guadalupe Mejia, OD, of the University of Louisville.

Eye Conditions to Be Aware Of Certain changes in the appearance of your eyes may signal underlying conditions that need to be checked out by a doctor:

Red whites. Healthy eyes have fairly bright whites, so when the whites of your eyes turn red, that’s a red flag. “Red is a sign of dryness, infection, or allergies,” says Dr. Mejia. Though you can manage some of these issues with over-the-counter products like or eye drops, see an eye doctor if the redness and irritation persist. Yellow whites. “We know with liver impairment you get a yellowing of the eyes,” also known as, Mejia explains. If the yellowing is new and you’ve never discussed it with your doctor, call for an appointment. Hazy pupils. When develop, they can create a visible white/blue fogginess over the pupil of an eye. White corneal ring. “Changes that can happen with the cornea make it look like the eye is changing,” notes Mejia. Cholesterol deposits in the cornea (the dome-shaped covering of the eye), for instance, can create the appearance of a new white ring. Talk with your doctor if you notice that the color of the ring around your eyes has changed.

Annual eye exams will help you stay on top of changes in the blood vessels in the eye that could reflect the effects of diabetes, high blood pressure, or, In between annual exams, however, “if the white parts of the eye aren’t white, that would be a warning sign to get to a doctor,” says Mejia. : Does Eye Color Reveal Health Risks? – Vision Center

What color makes brown eyes look green?

The 5 Best Makeup Colors for Brown Eyes We don’t believe in prescriptive beauty or “rules” around these parts. But when it comes to playing up your eye color, some color wheel basics actually are pretty helpful. Take the color : When paired with the best eyeshadow shades for brown eyes, you can bring out depth and dimension like whoa.

The trick to enhancing brown eyes is to first identify which pigments yours comprise. “One of the best kept secrets by makeup artists is that smudging a warm brown eye shadow with coppery undertones onto the lash line will bring out green and gold flashes in brown eyes,” Ungaro says. The hints of red in the shadow will contrast with any green or gold, making them look extra dramatic. For an even stronger look, Ungaro recommends following the eyeshadow with jet black liner on the waterline to add depth.

It looks bold in the pan, but this eye shadow can be easily blended into a less pigmented color, so you can choose the intensity you prefer., $21, makeupforever.com Bronze is one of the most versatile shades when it comes to eye makeup, but Ungaro says it looks especially dazzling on brown eyes without coming across too severe. “Smudge a dark bronze liner around your eye from the top lash line to the bottom one for a deep, sultry effect,” she says. For an, try a bronze liner with a bit of shimmer in it—you’ll be surprised at how this warm shade can change your whole look.

“Light bronze really brings out the sparkle in brown eyes, especially if they have golden tones,” says Ungaro. By using a bronze or champagne color with yellow undertones, you’ll bring out even the slightest the hint of hazel in brown eyes, making them appear more vibrant. We love MAC Paint Pots because they’re beyond easy to apply. Use your fingers to swipe them over your lid, an eyeshadow brush to layer them with other shadows, or an angled liner brush to wear it just along your waterline., $22, maccosmetics.com

: The 5 Best Makeup Colors for Brown Eyes

Can someone with brown eyes have a green eyed child?

Is it possible for two brown eyed people to have a child with blue eyes? Editor’s Note (4/14/2021): The following article and diagrams present an over-simplified, outdated version of eye color genetics. Eye color is influenced by at least 50 genes, not all of which are well understood.

Yes. The short answer is that brown-eyed parents can have kids with brown, blue or virtually any other color eyes. Eye color is very complicated and involves many genes. To begin to understand how parents with brown eyes could have blue-eyed children, let’s imagine that eye color is due to a single gene, EYCL3, which comes in two versions or alleles, brown ( B ) and blue ( b ).

Remember that for most genes (including eye color), you have two copies of each gene, and that you inherited one from your mother and one from your father. The brown version of the eye color gene ( B ) is dominant over the blue version ( b ). Dominant means that if either of your genes is the B version, then you will have brown eyes.

1. Genetically speaking, then, people with brown eyes could be either BB or Bb while people with blue eyes could only be bb,
2. Example of a one-gene model for eye color.
3. For two parents with brown eyes to have a blue-eyed child, both parents must genetically be Bb,
4. When this happens, there is a 1 in 4 chance that these parents will have a bb child with blue eyes.

Unfortunately, eye color is not as simple as this. Besides the EYCL3 gene described above, at least two other genes, EYCL1 and EYCL2, are also involved. Although this set of genes explains how people can have green eyes, it does a poor job of explaining how blue-eyed parents could have brown-eyed children or how anyone can have hazel or gray eyes at all.

To understand green eyes in all of this, we only need to review EYCL1 and EYCL3 (EYCL2 is a poorly understood brown eye color gene). Remember, EYCL3 has two versions, brown ( B ) and blue ( b ). EYCL1 also comes in two versions, green ( G ) and blue ( b ). The way these genes work is that if you have a B allele, you will have brown eyes ( B is dominant over b and G ), if you have a G allele and no B allele, you will have green eyes ( G is dominant over b ) and if you have all b genes, then you will have blue eyes.

Example of a two-gene model for eye color. I hope this helps to answer your question. As you can tell, while some progress has been made, eye color is a very complex, polygenic trait that is not yet fully understood. : Is it possible for two brown eyed people to have a child with blue eyes?

What are greenish brown eyes called?

Posted by Eye Doctors of Washington in General Eye Care When someone wants to enhance their vision, they may try contact lenses or seek out LASIK eye surgery, But what if they want to change the color of their eyes? People have long been fascinated with eye color; after all, eyes come in a wide range of shades. The colored part of the eye is called the iris. The iris has pigmentation that determines the eye color. Irises are classified as being one of six colors: amber, blue, brown, gray, green, hazel, or red. Often confused with hazel eyes, amber eyes tend to be a solid golden or copper color without flecks of blue or green typical of hazel eyes. Blue eyes have a low level of pigment present in the iris. Recently, scientists announced that everyone with blue eyes is related! Because of various racial groups intermarrying, blue eyes, which are generally recessive, are becoming rarer and rarer. (Note: I recently asked my blue-eyed in-laws how they produced my amber-eyed spouse, incorrectly telling them it was genetically impossible. Brown is the most common eye color. Individuals with brown eyes have more melanin present, and over half of the people in the world have brown eyes. Gray eyes may be called “blue” at first glance, but they tend to have flecks of gold and brown. And they may appear to “change color” from gray to blue to green depending on clothing, lighting, and mood (which may change the size of the pupil, compressing the colors of the iris). Green is the least common eye color, but it is found most frequently in northern and central Europe. I have always incorrectly called this color eye hazel! Hazel eyes mostly consist of shades of brown and green. Much like gray eyes, hazel eyes may appear to “change color” from green to light brown to gold. Individuals whose eyes appear to be one color closest to the pupil, another color a little farther our, and another color around the edge of the iris are likely to have hazel eyes. Red eyes do exist. “Red?” you say. “Yes, red,” I say, although we often call them pink. Picture white bunnies with pink eyes. What you’re actually seeing in these rabbits and in albinos is the blood vessels behind the iris. Because there is so little melanin in the eyes, there is nothing to conceal the blood vessels hard at work. If you’re dissatisfied with your eye color for whatever reason, there are always colored contacts. Just be sure to get a prescription for them from your eye doctor at Eye Doctors of Washington, Don’t buy them online or borrow them from a friend—you’d just be begging for an eye infection. Contact Us