What Is Eye Color?
What we refer to as eye color is actually the presence of melanin, a pigment (the natural coloring agent in organic tissue) in the iris (the colored part of the eyes). The more pigment in the eyes, the darker the color.
Green, blue, and gray eyes are the lightest-colored eyes because the iris has the least amount of melanin.
The eye color a person is born with depends on the genetic material each parent contributes. Parents’ genes can combine in unexpected ways, and there is no way to predict what eye color a child will have.
It is possible for children to have completely different eye colors than those of their parents, but if both parents have brown eyes, it is probable that the child will also have brown eyes.
Eye color by residence
Brown eyes are the most common color on Earth ,70% of the planet population has them, and you can find them on all continents from Australia to North America. In certain regions, the percentage of brown-eyed people reaches 95%, like in Asia, the Middle East, South America, South Europe, and Oceania. In the USA, 50% of population has brown eyes.
Dr. Eiberg mentioned that initially everyone had brown eyes but a mutation decreased the production of melanin. Scientists suggest that it happened first in areas to the northwest of the Black Sea.
Blue-eyed people are more common in northern Europe: Estonia, Denmark, Finland — 85%, Germany — 75%, and the UK — 50%. Sometimes, this eye color can be found among people in the Middle East.
Only 2% of the planet population has green eyes. This hue formed due to the moderate content of melanin and combination of yellow-brown pigments. Green eyes are most common in Spain, Ireland, Russia, Brazil, Iceland, and Pakistan.
The rarest eye color is yellow which is the result of eyes that have a lipochrome pigment.
Can I Change My 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.
Colored contact lenses are a safe way of changing your eye color, but this comes with some caveats.
First and foremost, colored contact lenses require a prescription, and the prescription must be obtained by a licensed doctor after conducting a standard eye exam. This is true even if there is no need for actual corrective vision devices and even if the contacts are only desired for cosmetic purposes. Simply put, if you want colored contact lenses that are safe, you have to go through the process of getting a prescription.
When Can Eyes Change Color?
Typically, a person’s eye color becomes permanent about three years after birth. Once eye color has set, the color usually won’t change. However, several factors can influence your eye color and whether or not it changes to a different pigment.
How to Safely Change Your Eye Color
Some urban legends hold that honey and tepid water can change a person’s eye color, but there is no scientific evidence to suggest this is even remotely possible. Despite what some websites say, both honey and tap water are not sterile, and applying them to the eyes could cause an infection.
If you want to change your eye color, decorative contact lenses are the way to go, and the way to get them is via a prescription from a licensed optician. Take care of the lenses, clean them regularly, and get yearly checks for your vision, and you can safely enjoy your new eye color.