Why Do My Eyes Change Color? Peculiar Phenomenons Explained For Kidsn

The change in the eye color or iris color can be related to your health, diet, or lifestyle.

Eye color is determined by the genes a person may have. Usually, the eye color is permanent and doesn't change.

Melanin is a pigment present in our body that results in different colored eyes, skin, and hair. Newborn babies have less melanin in their bodies.

Hence, the color of their eyes, skin, and hair are lighter. The production of melanin increases when your body is exposed to sunlight. It plays an essential role in determining the color of your eyes, hair, and skin.

In about three years after birth, your eye color becomes permanent. The most common colors being dark brown eyes, green eyes, light blue eyes, and dark black eyes.

The eye color doesn't change usually, but it is not impossible. Various factors can change your eye color over time. One such factor is the sunlight.

Sunlight stimulates the production of melanin in the body. The color of your eyes may change if you are exposed to the sun for a longer example. Also, you may be able to see other colors in your eyes that may not be visible in artificial lights.

Your brown eyes may also appear to be a different color depending on the tint of your attire. The color of your eyes may look deeper or lighter as a result of one color enhancing another.

For example, your dark brown eyes may turn dark blue, although this is only a momentary transformation. One of the contributing reasons is a change in pupil size.

Your eye color may appear lighter when your pupils are narrower. The color of your eyes may appear darker when the size of your pupil is greater.

This is why, when you cry, your eyes may appear to change color because a hormone is released that causes the pupil to dilate. As a result, when you cry, your eyes may appear brighter.

Medical and health conditions such as heterochromia or Horner's syndrome may also change the color of your eyes. In this disease, the eyes have different colors.

You must have noticed a difference in eye color among the people who drink alcohol. This is because the alcohol dilates the blood vessels present in your eyes.

This makes the eye color appear to be reddish. The genes you have inherited from your parents also affect the color of your iris, but with age, the color of the eyes you were born with might change.

You might think that you are mistaken. However, it is possible, and it can happen over a period of time due to various genetic, health, and external factors which are also called Horner's syndrome, Fuch's heterochromic uveitis, pigmentary glaucoma, and several others.

If you are bothered by the changing color of the eyes or pupil changes, consult a good eye doctor at the earliest.

You can also read why my joints crack and why we have armpit hair for more fun facts.

What might cause your eyes to change color?

Eyes change color due to various reasons. It can happen due to a severe illness or even external factors like sunlight. This change may be permanent or temporary.

Here are some of the reasons your eyes may change color:

Melanin: The pigment production increases when you are exposed to sunlight for long hours. This may result in a change in your eye color, and it may appear lighter or darker. This change is relatively slow and may occur over several years.

Medical conditions: Various eye diseases like heterochromia and ocular chromatic instability are responsible for drastic eye color changes. This change is relatively fast and sudden.

Alcohol: When someone consumes alcohol, their blood vessels may dilute. It will make their eyes look red.

Different moods and sizes of pupils: When you are happy, sad, or angry, your body releases a particular hormone. This hormone changes the size of your pupil. When the size of the pupil increases, the color of your eyes may appear darker; if the pupil becomes small, it may seem a different shade.

Can your eye color change with your mood?

Yes, your eyes can change color with your mood, but this change is temporary.

When you are undergoing a strong emotion, your body will release a particular hormone that affects the size of your pupil. Your pupil may expand or contract. As a result, lighter eye color might start to appear as darker eye color.

When you feel extreme happiness or anger, your eyes may look vibrant, but your eyes may look brighter when you are sad or crying. Your eyes become darker when your pupils expand, while they become lighter when the pupil size contracts. For example, dark blue eyes might appear as brown eyes.

Is it rare to change your eye color?

No, your eyes can change colors with age. You may have noticed that your eyes get a little darker or lighter than their original shade every year. It may be an illusion caused due to the color of your outfit, alcohol, or pupil's size.

Additionally, the eye color can change slightly as the melanin level increases around your pupil due to increased exposure to sunlight. A permanent change in eye color is very rare. This can happen due to increased secretion of melanin pigment due to sunlight exposure or medical conditions like heterochromia or ocular chromatic instability.

What are the most common eye colors to change to and from?

Brown is the most common eye color in the world. Though the eye color is permanent after three years of birth, it might change over the years due to various factors.

It doesn't change drastically unless you have some medical condition like heterochromia or ocular chromatic instability. The other physical factors like sunlight may affect the eye color only if you are exposed to it for long hours. It may change it into a darker or a lighter shade of the original color.

Why do my eyes change from blue to green?

Blue eyes have the least pigment in them. There are various reasons your blue eyes may change into green ones.

If your eyes have suddenly changed from blue to green, it may indicate that you are suffering from a disease known as ocular chromatic instability. It is highly recommended that you visit an eye doctor as soon as possible and get proper treatment for your condition.

What is the rarest eye color?

Green is the rarest eye color, along with gray and hazel, which are less common than others.

Black, brown, and blue are pretty common eye colors. Some people even have mixed eye colors or different shades of brown, blue, green, and other colors.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions on changes in eye color, then why not take a look at why do people put cucumbers on their eyes, or why do I crave chocolate?