Do your eyes turn blue as you get older?

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.


What does it mean when your eyes start turning blue?

There are lots of reasons someone can have blue “whites”. Anything that results in a thinning of the sclera could cause it. For example, some medications, like steroids, can produce blue sclera. Not having enough iron in your blood (anemia) and aging have also been shown to give a blue tint to the whites of the eye.

Why do old people's brown eyes turn blue?

However, 10-15% of Caucasian eyes change to a lighter color as they age, as pigment in the iris changes or degrades. Melanin production can be activated through solar exposure, meaning that a prolonged time exposure to the sun could make your eyes darker.


Can your eyes suddenly turn blue?

Sudden onset of blue sclera is still no cause for alarm, but an eye exam is recommended. An eye doctor can take a look and determine the cause of the change. If you have any sudden changes in your vision, like blurriness or light sensitivity, or the whites of your eyes have turned yellow, you need to see a doctor.

Why do older people have blue around their eyes?

If you're over the age of 50, you may have noticed a faint to moderate white/blue ring around your cornea. This is known as arcus and is a normal age-related finding. Arcus does not impact the clarity of your vision or the comfort of your eyes. It represents a gradual build-up of cholesterol.


7 Things That Can Change Your Eye Color



What is the rarest eye color?

Due to variations in melanin, eye color runs the gamut from very light blue to very dark brown. Green irises (the rarest eye color) have less melanin than brown eyes but more than blue eyes, for instance. “Brown is on one end, blue on the other, and hazel and green are in between,” Dr. Patel says.

Can brown eyes turn blue naturally?

Unfortunately, no. Just like your hair and skin color, the color of your iris is genetic. That means that unless you break down your genetic code or cell structure, your eye color cannot be changed permanently without surgery.

Why are my dark brown eyes getting lighter?

Natural Age-Related Eye Color Changes

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.


Why are my brown eyes turning GREY?

With aging or high blood lipid levels its clarity may change causing a cloudy appearance that the patient or observer may call "gray." Hence a brown or blue eye may turn gray. A scarred or swollen cornea also has a gray appearance. The color of the iris behind an abnormal cornea is not changed.

Can brown eyes get lighter with age?

For a small percentage of people, their eyes actually can change color. With age, eyes can naturally become either darker or lighter.

Can blue eyes see better in the dark?

Blue eyes. This is the next most common eye color, encompassing about 10% of the population. While blue eyes are more sensitive to light during the day, people with blue eyes tend to see better at night – unless there are bright lights.


Can someone's eyes change from brown to blue?

In general, it's rare for eyes to change color. They may appear to change when your pupils dilate or shrink, but this occurs because the pigments in the irises come together or spread apart. In some cases, eye color can darken slightly during puberty or pregnancy, or as you reach your later years.

What is the prettiest eye color?

We found that green is the most popular lens colour, with brown coming in a close second, despite it being one of the most common eye colours. Although blue and hazel are seen as the most attractive eye colours for men and women they are surprisingly the least popular.

Are blue eyes a problem?

Because blue eyes contain less melanin than most other eye colors, they may be more at risk of certain damage. Research has shown that lighter iris colors are associated with: A higher risk of ocular uveal melanoma (a type of eye cancer) A lower risk of developing cataracts.


What age do blue eyes change?

Although you can't predict the exact age your baby's eye color will be permanent, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) says most babies have the eye color that will last their lifetime by the time they're about 9 months old. However, some can take up to 3 years to settle into a permanent eye color.

Do eyes change color with mood?

The pupil can change size with certain emotions, thus changing the iris color dispersion and the eye color. You've probably heard people say your eyes change color when you're angry, and that probably is true. Your eyes can also change color with age. They usually darken somewhat.

Do grey eyes turn blue or brown?

What color will gray baby eyes turn? At birth your baby's eyes may appear gray or blue due to a lack of pigment. Once exposed to light, the eye color will most likely start to change to blue, green, hazel, or brown over a period of six months to one year.


Why do eyes change color with clothes?

People with lighter colored eyes may appear to have an eye color that shifts with what color of clothing they wear. This is an optical illusion caused by the colors or lighting around them. After spending a lot of time in the sun, your eyes can get freckles on the iris's surface.

What foods make your eye color brighter?

EYE SEE YOU: 6 Foods That Make Your Eyes Brighter
  • Spinach. Spinach contains a lot of beneficial vitamins and minerals that keep our eyes healthy. ...
  • Mangoes. Contains a great amount of Vitamin E and great sources of Vitamin A, just like other bright-colored fruits.
  • Peanuts. Salty but healthy. ...
  • Apples. ...
  • Broccoli. ...
  • Carrots.


Can brown eyes change color with your diet?

Yorkshire-based iridologist John Andrews said: "Alas, it is a misconception that eyes change color with diet. It is a scientific impossibility." Yvonne Davis, an iridologist from London, was similarly skeptical but explained how the color change could potentially have happened.


Do brown eyes change color with age?

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.

What country has the most blue eyes?

Estonia is the country with the most blue-eyed individuals in the world. 89% of its population have blue eyes.

Can brown eyes change to blue from sunlight?

Increased Sun Exposure

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. Sunlight can also reveal colors that were already in your eyes.


Can 2 brown eye parents make blue?

The brown eye form of the eye color gene (or allele) is dominant, whereas the blue eye allele is recessive. If both parents have brown eyes yet carry the allele for blue eyes, a quarter of the children will have blue eyes, and three quarters will have brown eyes.

Which parent determines eye color?

Each parent will pass one copy of their eye color gene to their child. In this case, the mom will always pass B and the dad will always pass b. This means all of their kids will be Bb and have brown eyes. Each child will show the mom's dominant trait.