Eye color is one of the most fascinating things about the human body. No two eyes look exactly the same and there are several different classifications of the possible colors. Understanding your eye color can help you take pride in it as well as spark interest in other eye colors. It is important to note that each eye color is the result of a specific gene code made just for you and perfectly unique.
If for some reason you are dissatisfied with the color of your eyes and wish you could have another one, there is hope in the form of cosmetic colored contact lenses! At Medical Arts and Eye, we can assist you with finding your best match.
What Makes an Eye Color
Without getting too deep into the world of genetics, the easiest way to sum up how different eye colors are made is the amount of melanin present in the iris. Blue eyes actually present themselves when there is a lack of melanin in the iris. A lot of pigment in the iris results in brown eyes, with darker and lighter brown being a result of more or less. Some pigment allows for green eyes, although this eye color is a little trickier than the rest, resulting in a smaller amount of the population with green eyes.
How to Classify Your Eyes
While there are several different variations of single eye colors, there is a small list of the typical categories eyes can fall into. Follow along to discover what your closest features mean for your true eye color.
1. Blue Eyes
Because they are created from the recessive gene, blue eyes are considered one of the rarer eye colors. Perhaps you have icy blue eyes or even lighter blue toward the pupil with a darker blue ring on the outside. Blue eyes come in all different forms, but chances are if you have blue eyes, you already knew that. If this is you, make sure to keep a pair of sunglasses on you at all times to protect them from the harsh sunlight!
2. Gray Eyes
Gray eyes often get mistaken for a lighter blue color, but at a closer glance, there are traces of gold and brown in this genre of eye color. While some lighting and clothing may appear to change the color of your eyes to a blue or green shade, it is most likely just the dilation of the pupil compressing the iris.
3. Brown Eyes
Over half of the population falls into the category of brown eyes, but if this is you, there is no reason to feel ‘ordinary’. Brown eyes come in all different hues and variations. Brown eyes have the most melanin present in the iris, meaning that if your eyes are a lighter brown, you most likely have a little less melanin present than those with dark brown. Darker rings in your eye that contrast with lighter parts mean that your iris may have different amounts of melanin at different points.
4. Hazel Eyes
If your eyes are strongly made up of shades of brown and green, chances are you fall into the hazel eye category. These people typically have about 2-3 colors in their eyes, with one color closest to the pupil, another after that, and a different color ring around the edge of the iris. There may be times when your eyes look more green than brown or vice versa depending on the lighting and different colored clothing.
5. Green Eyes
Coming in last but definitely not least, is the eye color that is considered least common. True green eyes are hard to come by and occur with a specific set of multiple genes combined with a specific amount of melanin in the iris. Long story short, if you have green eyes, consider yourself among the rarer population. You might discover you have ties to Northern and Central Europe if you find yourself with green eyes.
Achieve Your Dream Eye Color at Medical Arts Eye Clinic
Like any other quality, there may be times in your life where you are dissatisfied with your eye color and wish to change it. Thanks to modern technology, there is a temporary fix for this. You can choose to try out cosmetic colored contact lenses with your ideal color of choice. At Medical Arts Eye Clinic, we will help you in your journey to finding your eye color. Contact us to discuss options and services.