Why Do My Blue Eyes Look Grey?

Why Do My Blue Eyes Look Grey
Are gray eyes the same as blue in terms of genetics? Scientists know a lot about the genetics of eye color. But mostly about blue, green and brown eyes. Not many scientists have studied the differences between blue and gray eyes. This is probably because it is likely that the genetics of the two are very similar.

But as you will read later on they are not exactly the same.
Although we do not know the exact genes that cause gray vs.
Blue eyes, we do know a lot about what makes different eye colors.
When people talk about eye color, they are talking about the color of the part of the eye called the iris.
The color comes from dye-like molecules called pigments,

are what give nature all of her colors. It is why some flowers are red and others are blue. And why some eyes are brown while others are blue. The major pigment in the eye is the same as the one in skin and hair -, Different amounts of pigment in the iris lead to different eye colors.

This might seem weird at first since melanin is dark brown or black. How can this one color pigment be responsible for many colors including blue, brown, and gray? It has to do with HOW MUCH and WHERE the melanin is made in the eye. There are two different layers in the iris, a front and a back one. In between the two layers is an area called the stroma,

The stroma is a clear tissue with many proteins floating around in it. One of these proteins is called collagen, We will get back to that later. Almost all eye colors have a lot of melanin on the back layer of the iris. Most differences in eye color come from the amount of melanin made on the front layer.

For example, both brown and blue eyes have lots of melanin in the back layer.
The difference is that brown eyes also have a lot of melanin in the front layer and blue eyes do not.
So brown eyes are dark because lots of melanin in the front layer absorbs any light hitting the iris.
In blue eyes, though, light can pass right through the clear front of the iris and reflect off the melanin in the back of the eye.

But the light doesn’t reflect back through a completely empty stroma. The collagen in the stroma gets in the way of the light on its way back to the front of the eye. When the light hits the collagen it bends and looks blue. It is just like the sky. The sky is dark in space but when we look at it from Earth during the day, it looks blue not black.

This is because light from the sun hits particles in the atmosphere and reflects blue. This effect is called Rayleigh scattering. Some eyes are blue for the same reason the sky is blue. (Image from ) Now imagine a sky on a rainy day. It looks gray right? That is because the light from the sun is reflecting on large drops of water.

When the light hits the water drops, it looks gray or white because the larger particles scatter all of the wavelengths of light equally. This kind of scattering is called Mie scattering. So we have one guess about why eyes look gray. Remember that the blue eye color is caused by light reflecting off of the protein collagen in the stroma.

You could imagine that the amount or size of the proteins in the stroma could determine how gray the eyes appear. Just like clouds on a rainy day. We do not know genetically how the amount of collagen in the stroma is determined. Undoubtedly there are genes that determine this; we just don’t know anything about them.

This means we can’t even guess at the genes that might be involved. Another idea about gray eyes has to do with the amount and location of melanin. One theory is that dark gray eyes come from a thin layer of melanin on the front layer of the iris. The blue reflection of light is clouded over by the dark layer in front causing a dark gray color.

Light gray eyes are almost the opposite.
One idea is that in light gray eyes, there is very little melanin on the front of the iris.
Even less here than is found in blue eyes! Blue and gray eyes are very similar genetically.
Image from ) You can imagine the difference between blue and light gray eyes like a dimmer on a light switch.

A little melanin in the front of the eye gives you blue eyes. As you decrease the amount of melanin present the blue eyes look lighter and lighter until they look colorless or light gray. We don’t know which of these ideas about gray eyes is right. It could be that different people have gray eyes for different reasons and so all of the ideas are right.

Or there may be a completely different explanation. Scientists have a lot more work to do to find out the real story about the genetic differences between gray and blue eyes. We do have a pretty good handle on figuring out why someone has brown eyes and someone else has blue, though. It may be that the same gene is involved in gray eyes.

The gene I am talking about is called OCA2. This gene gives the instructions for a protein, called P-protein that helps decide how much melanin is made. A poorly working OCA2 gene is a big part of blue eyes. (Image from ) Different people can have different versions of this gene.

And some versions are better at making melanin than others.
Which version you get determines the amount of melanin in the eye.
People who have a version of OCA2 that works poorly can have blue eyes.
We could guess that people who have a version of OCA2 that works VERY poorly might have light gray eyes.

Once scientists get around to looking, it’ll be interesting to see if this is the case. And OCA2 is just one gene that we know about. There are likely to be other genes that cause differences in how much melanin is made and where in the iris it is made.

Are grey blue eyes common?

Human eyes come in many colors — brown, blue, green, hazel, amber, and even violet or gray eyes. Gray eye color is one of the loveliest and most uncommon, a trait shared by only 3% of the world’s population, The color and intensity of gray eyes varies from person to person and can include dark gray, gray-green and gray-blue.

Eye color actually refers to the color of the iris, a ring of tissue that surrounds the pupil,
The pupil is an opening at the center of the iris that appears black, while the white part of your eye is called the sclera,
The color of the iris depends on the presence of a brown pigment called melanin, the same pigment that determines skin color and hair color.

Eyes with a lot of melanin are darker, and eyes with less melanin are blue, green, hazel, amber or gray. NOTE: You may see references to “grey” rather than “gray” eyes, but it’s the same eye color. “Gray” is simply the preferred spelling in American English, while “grey” is the British English spelling used primarily in the U.K.

Do you have gray eyes?
Just as gray hair has become an increasingly popular trend (both treated and natural), gray eyes are rare and coveted. This unique eye color is only present in 3% of the population. So bat those gorgeous grays with pride, and make certain you take care of them with routine eye exams. People with light-colored eyes, like gray, are more sensitive to the sun and are more likely to develop a rare eye cancer called ocular melanoma. If it’s been a while, schedule an exam with an eye doctor today.

Do you have gray eyes?

Just as gray hair has become an increasingly popular trend (both treated and natural), gray eyes are rare and coveted. This unique eye color is only present in 3% of the population. So bat those gorgeous grays with pride, and make certain you take care of them with routine eye exams. People with light-colored eyes, like gray, are more sensitive to the sun and are more likely to develop a rare eye cancer called ocular melanoma. If it’s been a while, schedule an exam with an eye doctor today.

Why do my eyes look grey sometimes?

Should You Be Concerned? – If you have a gradual eye color change or what seems to be an eye color change, it’s most often nothing to worry about. There are those instances when it could be a sign of something more, though. It’s always better to play it safe and talk to your eye specialist about any changes you see in your vision or eyes.

Can blue eyes turn grey with age?

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

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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.

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.
The third cause appears to be genetics.
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)

Why do my eyes sometimes look grey and sometimes blue?

Increased Sun Exposure – As previously mentioned, exposure to light causes your body to produce more melanin. Even if your eye color has set, your eye color could slightly change if you expose your eyes to more sunlight. As a result, your eyes might appear a darker shade of brown, blue, green, or gray, depending on your current eye color.

How rare is bluish gray eyes?

Gray: The Rarest Eye Color – New classifications have determined that gray is its own standard color. (It was previously, and incorrectly, lumped in with blue.) With this change, gray now tops the list as the rarest eye color.


EYE COLOR	U.S. POPULATION	WORLD POPULATION
Gray and other	Less than 1%	Less than 1%
Green	9%	2%
Hazel/amber	18%	10%
Blue	27%	8% to 10%
Brown	45%	55% to 79%

There’s not much information on gray-colored eyes. In studies, gray and blue have historically been combined. This may change since the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) has separated gray into an “other” category, which it shares with rare eye color differences discussed later in this article.

What is it called when your eyes change from blue to grey?

Eye Color Changes Not Related to the Iris – Arcus senilis is a hazy blue or white ring on the cornea from a build-up of a natural fatty substance called lipids. It’s common with aging and usually harmless. Most seniors have some degree of arcus senilis.

A Keyser Fleischer ring is a greenish/orange ring in the cornea from Wilson’s Disease, a condition related to elevated copper in the body.
It’s very rare and needs medical treatment.
Hyphema is when there is blood inside the eye, usually from an injury or after surgery.
A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, behind the pupil, that makes it look milky or grey.

Cataracts are common with aging and affect vision. In most cases, they can be successfully removed with surgery. A cataract—cloudy lens behind the pupil—seen in an adult eye.

Why are my eyes not as blue anymore?

Stay up-to-date with the latest from 20/20 Onsite – It’s not an uncommon thing to have wondered before if your eyes are capable of changing color. At some point or another, we’ve all wanted to have different eyes just to see what they’d look like. And as crazy as it may sound, eyes can absolutely change color! How does this happen? Let’s start with the basics. Why Do My Blue Eyes Look Grey First of all, the iris is a muscle in the eye that gives it its color. With light, the iris can either expand or contract in order to control pupil size. The pupil shrinks when exposed to bright light, whereas it grows in dimmer lighting. When the pupil changes size, the pigments in the iris either compress or spread apart, which causes a slight change in perceived eye color,

Age Babies are usually born with light blue or gray eyes, yet as they grow, their eyes often get darker. This is because eye color is determined by your genes and the melanin level on your body. As you grow up, the melanin level increases around your pupil, making the eye darker. However, 10-15% of Caucasian eyes change to a lighter color as they age, as pigment in the iris changes or degrades,
Exposure to the sun Melanin production can be activated through solar exposure, meaning that a prolonged time exposure to the sun could make your eyes darker.
Emotions Certain emotions can change the size of your pupil and the iris color. When you are happy, angry, or sad, your body releases a hormone that makes your pupil size change, When you’re happy or angry, your eyes usually become more vibrant, while when you cry, your eyes obtain a reddish color, making your eyes appear brighter.
Clothing and makeup Darker clothes as well as some color makeup on your eyelids, or white eyeliner, are all things that can make your eyes look more vibrant and brighter, This is just a matter of perception, not reality, but your eyes will definitely pop a bit more than usual!
Your diet They say you are what you eat, and for the eyes this is entirely true! The type of diet you keep will influence your eye color. Here are some of the foods that change your eye color if consumed often : Spinach: It’s richness in iron will make your eyes look younger and shine brighter! Organic honey: Regular consumption of honey could make your eye hue lighter and brighter. Fish: Consuming fish can increase your eye color strength and depending on the consumption, this changes could be permanent. Olive oil: Many people believe that adding olive oil to your diet could change the shade of your eyes. Onions: Regular intake of onion has shown gradual changes in eye and skin color. Nuts: Add different nuts to your diet and your eyes could gradually get a lighter color. * Note : Roasted nuts won’t affect your eyes since their nutrients (what might change your eye color) have already been destroyed by exposing them to high temperatures. Chamomile & Uva Ursi tea: eyes relax and pupil size changes, making the eye appear a different color (usually a warmer shade),
Your health Your eye color can also change to a yellowish or greenish shade when you are unwell or if you have an eye disease such as : Horner’s Syndrome: A complication with the third cranial nerve. This disease could make the affected eye(s) change to a lighter color. Fuch’s Heterochromic Uveitis: A chronic mild inflammation of the front section of the eye. Pigmentary Glaucoma: In this type of glaucoma, the pigment on the back of the iris is disrupted and the loose pigment granules collect on the back of the cornea. This loose pigment could also collect on the front of the iris, changing the color. Medication for glaucoma c ould also affect the color of the eyes.

There are many reasons why your eyes may at least appear to change color. In certain cases, like eye disease and changes in your diet, your eye color may truly change. However, many times it is only a matter of perspective and elements that can reflect into your eyes, tricking the mind of those looking at you into thinking your eyes just changed into a different shade.

Are grey blue eyes attractive?

Instead, gray eyes topped the chart with an average rating of 7.4, followed by blue and green eyes each scoring an average of 7.3. When broken down by gender, men ranked gray, blue, and green eyes as the most attractive, while women said they were most attracted to green, hazel, and gray eyes.

How rare is bluish gray eyes?


EYE COLOR	U.S. POPULATION	WORLD POPULATION
Gray and other	Less than 1%	Less than 1%
Green	9%	2%
Hazel/amber	18%	10%
Blue	27%	8% to 10%
Brown	45%	55% to 79%

How many people have greyish blue eyes?

Gray – Close to 3% of the world’s population have gray eyes. People with gray eyes have little or no melanin in their irises, but they have more collagen in a part of the eye called the stroma. The light scatters off the collagen in a way that makes the eyes appear gray.