Can eye color change?
- Benoit Goris Reyes
- Nov 21, 2024
- 1 min read
Have you noticed that some people's eye color seems to change depending on the light? The reason is that the iris has two layers. Sometimes there are pigments in both. In people with blue or green eyes, the front layer will have little melanin. Depending on the amount of outside light, the eyes will appear to change color as the light hits each layer.
Changes in light can also affect pupil size; which expands in darkness and contracts in bright light. When the size of the pupil changes, the pigments in the iris contract or expand, giving the impression of a slight change in eye color. Strong emotions can also change the size of the pupil, such as when a person is in love or angry, which affects the color of the iris.
In a small number of people, eye color may change with age, particularly for those with a light color. Exposure to the sun can make your eyes darker, just like your skin changes color under the sun's rays. So protect your eyes with sunglasses if you spend a lot of time outside.
