Changes in eye color, possible causes. Can a person's eye color change?

Many people think that eye color is inherited, but scientists have proven that the genetics of color has a complex structure, and it can differ markedly between a child and his parents.

Eye color can also change in children in the first year of life due to a lack of melanin. However, it can also change in adults. So what causes eye color to change?

What determines the shade of the eyes?

Our eye is formed from several membranes. The most dense is the outer shell, which includes the cornea. Next comes the tunica media, which is a vascular connection and is formed by the ciliary body, and also owns essential component, – iris. The iris is a circle in the central part of which is the pupil.

The shade of our eyes is determined by the location of melanin on the surface of the membrane and the amount of its content. Vessels and fibers also have an influence outer shell eyes.

Back layer choroid contains a large amount of pigment and is dark. People who do not have melanin pigment cells are called albinos. They have a transparent eye shell, however, when exposed to light, their eyes develop a reddish tint.

How is eye color formed?

The shade of our eyes varies depending on the volume of pigment cells and how they are distributed in the outer part of the choroid.

Brown or yellowish eyes are formed as a result large quantity densely located pigment.

Bluish or blue color is formed due to the scattering of light in the fibrous part of the fabric. The eye shell itself does not contain blue or cyan pigments.

Green eyes are formed differently. Only two percent of the world's population are carriers of this color. There is a very small amount of melanin in these eyes, the back layer contains a bluish tint, and the front layer is yellowish and brownish. As a result of such scattering, a green tint is formed.

The rarest eye color is lilac. There are so few representatives of this color that it is almost impossible to meet them. Scientists suggest that it is formed as a result of a double series of genes.

Why does eye color change?

A child's eye color may change during the first year of life, since the number of pigment cells at birth is small. However, when good health the eyes will not change shade.

The color of an adult's eyes may also change. This happens due to various diseases(which you can learn about by going through) or under the influence of hormones. The shade can also be affected by light, your surroundings, the color of your clothing, or your makeup.

The size of the pupil varies from two to eight millimeters and depends on the amount of light, exposure various drugs or nervous regulation. At normal functioning the pupil narrows in strong light and enlarges in low light. Due to changes in the diameter of the pupil, pigment cells in the iris converge or diverge - this causes a change in color.

Is it possible to change the color of your eyes yourself?

• The first and most popular way is color contact lenses . However, you need to remember that the period of wearing them is limited.
• Next in popularity are eye drops . They contain a semblance of the hormone prostaglandin F2a. Frequent and prolonged use may lead to nutritional deficiencies eyeball, and the shade only changes from light to dark.
• Correction using laser . It is an expensive procedure and the consequences of its use are unknown. warns that this procedure is irreversible.
• Surgery. In this case, the color changes when an implant of a different color is inserted. This operation will cost a large sum money and can cause great harm to your health.
• Changing food and transition to healthy image life. Watch an interesting video:

Amazing phenomena occur in nature. You've probably heard that some people have chameleon eyes. Such individual characteristics cause admiration and sometimes fear, because society fears the unknown and atypical. In some cases, you can notice how the color of the iris has changed dramatically over time. short period time.

What are chameleon eyes?

Eyes that change color aren't particularly common, but it's still useful to know what it's called. The term comes from the animal chameleon, which, depending on the environment, can change its color, this is due to camouflage. For some people, the color of the iris becomes different. Of course, this has nothing to do with trying to merge with the environment, but just a physiological feature.

Hue human eye depends on the melanin content in it. This is a pigment, and the more of it there is in top layer, the darker the iris. If it is absent, then the eyes acquire a blue tint. Thus, there is an assumption that the amount of enzyme in the iris may vary, which provokes a change in eye shade. One of probable causes– due to a malfunction endocrine system. Genetic evidence and inheritance have not yet been found. There is no exact data on why this happens in all cases, there are only assumptions.

Types of changes in iris color. People's eyes change differently.

There are three main types of changes:

• Hormonal disorders- this is one of the theories. If you notice that your eyes have changed color, but this has not been observed before, then it is better to undergo examination by an endocrinologist.
• Age. Many people have probably noticed that most newborn children have Blue eyes very nice shade. There is not enough melanin in the iris yet, and it was not needed in the womb, since there was no need to protect it from ultraviolet radiation. At about 6 months, the true eye color appears. Next, the iris thickens, so the color may become more saturated. However, with old age, a fading effect occurs. Brown eyes may become more faded, blue eyes may turn gray. The reasons for this are the loss of melanin with age and health problems.
• During the day. This is the most interesting type of eye color change, which certainly attracts attention. The shade depends on the lighting, the size of the pupil, and sometimes the mood of the person. At the same time, the eyes can shimmer in different shades and even differ if you look at them from different angles. Superstitions are associated with such eyes.

Good to know: you should not ignore changes in pigmentation, especially if this has not been observed before. Sometimes this indicates hidden diseases.

Features of changes in chameleon eyes

It's amazing when you think that a person grey eyes, and then you realize that they have turned green or bright blue. Sometimes the shade changes slightly, and you can only notice it through constant communication with the person. However, there are cases when the color changes quite brightly and in a short period of time or over large ranges - suddenly brown ones turn green.

Eye color can change not only due to the functioning of the endocrine system, but also due to nervous experiences. Changes in mood, fear, desire - all these emotions are reflected in the color of the iris. It’s not for nothing that they say that the eyes are a kind of mirror that can tell a lot about the physical and mental state person.

Such features are not considered a pathology if they were observed initially, that is, from childhood.

What do chameleon eyes mean?

There are many beliefs associated with eyes that change color; some people look for a special meaning in them. The people believed that such people had a special gift and witchcraft power, and they even feared them.

Such people are also credited with certain characteristics of temperament and behavior. It has been observed that eye color is partially associated with certain personality traits. But with chameleons everything is much more complicated.

People with similar eyes often exhibit the following behavioral characteristics:

• Impulsiveness.
• Changeability of mood.
• Bright inner world.
• Expressed individuality.
• Behavior and speech also change along with the shade of the iris.

People around us are often interested in the question: can people change their eye color at will? Most likely, this is at the level of myths, although this fact cannot be ruled out, it is quite likely that someone is able to do this. If suddenly the iris suddenly changes from brown to green, it looks very impressive. Sometimes it is enough to change the angle of lighting so that the eyes acquire a different shade, which is what chameleon owners use.

Video

Women's chameleon eyes

Girls with such eyes have a contradictory character. They are often indecisive, and their mood can change very quickly. From joy they suddenly suddenly turn to sadness or commit impulsive actions. Such women often change their life priorities, which prevents them from moving towards one goal. Ladies with chameleon eyes have many diverse interests, but they simply give up some things halfway or do them for a very long time, since their attention is scattered in different areas.

They also have advantages. They easily adapt to changing reality, are easy-going and adapt well among other people. In society they most often keep a low profile, but they can still achieve success.

In general, their life is bright and unusual. They attract the opposite sex, so they have plenty of fans. If others see how the eye changes, it will certainly attract attention.

Photo gallery

Chameleon eyes in men

Their character is a little similar to girls with changeable eyes, but if such traits are acceptable for the weaker sex, then they can cause inconvenience for men. Society expects stability from men, but here there is pronounced impulsive and unpredictable behavior. They are quite disorganized and inconsistent. Nevertheless, such unique personality traits help in difficult situations when it is necessary to instantly adapt to the conditions of the environment. They can just as easily change their lives, simply because they are tired of everything.

In general, people you know with this interesting feature irises deserve attention. Their grey-blue-green eyes are incredibly attractive and admirable. Individuals with such a bewitching look are creative, multifaceted, it is interesting to communicate with them, relax and have business relationships.

Based on the color of the eyes and hair, relatives determine who the baby looks like; stylists advise women to focus on their eye color when choosing makeup and outfits, and for some men, just one look at brown or blue eyes is enough to drive their chosen one crazy. How does eye color change over the course of a person’s life and what can the eyes tell us?

How eye color changes in children

Most European babies are born with cloudy light blue eyes. During the first few days, a newborn's eyes become more dark shade– these are included in the work under the influence ultraviolet radiation The cells are melanocytes and begin to produce the pigment melanin. However, it is too early to draw conclusions about the eye color of a newborn. The fact is that the density of the iris gradually changes as the baby grows, as does the amount of melanin in the cells. The more melanin and the denser the iris, the darker the child's eyes will eventually become.

Why does a child's eye color change gradually? Experts believe that this is due to the speed of maturation of the body and its systems after birth, as well as when the genes that cause certain external signs person. Changes in eye and hair color usually occur in the first two to four years of life. Thus, you can more or less accurately judge what color your baby’s eyes and hair will be only by the age of three or four.

All of the above applies only to children born with light eyes. If the baby’s father or mother is brown-eyed, and the baby was born immediately with dark eyes, then their color will not change. This happens because dark eyes are a dominant trait, determined genetically, and if a baby has brown eyes from birth, then they will remain that way for life. But those born with light eyes are quite difficult to predict in advance. If a child has dark-eyed ancestors in his family, then with age the child may well become the owner brown eyes. If all relatives are light-eyed, then everything will depend on whose genes win.

If a child is born with red eyes, then most likely he has become a carrier of a very rare pathology - complete absence pigment in the iris of the eye. In this case, the red color of the eyes is given by the blood filling the vessels of the iris. This condition is called albinism - from the Latin “albeus”, which means white in Russian. Signs of albinism are not only reddish eyes, but also blond hair and very light, almost transparent skin. Albinism can be inherited by a child from one of the relatives, or it can be the result of a gene mutation. Why such a mutation occurs is not yet known to science. But if a child is born an albino, then the color of his eyes will no longer change. It has been proven that albinism does not affect physical health, intellectual development and the growth of the child, but albinos suffer from photophobia and it is dangerous for them to be in direct sunlight.

Sometimes children are born with eyes different color. This phenomenon is called heterochromia. If the cause of heterochromia is a hereditary factor, then there is nothing to worry about. And you can give your eyes the same shade as you age using contact lenses. But if parents notice that the child’s eye color changes in such a way that they become different, and there is no hereditary causes– you need to see a doctor. The fact is that non-hereditary heterochromia can be a symptom of the onset of the development of such dangerous diseases as Waardenburg syndrome (leads to deafness) and neurofibromatosis (leads to tumors and bone abnormalities).

How eye color changes in adults and what is it connected with

The color of a teenager's eyes and hair is finally formed by the age of fourteen. Due to the hormonal changes that accompany puberty, some teenagers' hair color changes a couple of shades and their eyes may darken a little. After 15 years, a person’s eye color no longer changes until old age.

In older people, melanocytes seem to “get tired” and begin to work less intensively. As a result, the older a person gets, the more faded the color of his eyes will be. Although there are cases when the light eyes of an elderly person begin to darken. If this is not associated with any diseases, then the color of the eyes in the elderly changes due to the compaction of the tissues of the iris, as a result of which it loses its transparency and becomes darker.

In adults in reproductive age Eye color should not change dramatically. If you observe significant changes in eye color, this is a reason to visit a doctor, since such a phenomenon may indicate the development of a number of diseases. Thus, darkening of the iris of the eyes is accompanied by such ailments as pigmentary glaucoma, siderosis, hemosiderosis and melonoma of the iris. But the eyes can become significantly lighter with the development of diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma, Fuchs iridocyclitis, Horner's syndrome and Duane's syndrome. Sometimes the eye color of adults changes to a lighter color as a result of eye or head injuries.

Eyes may darken or lighten slightly when hormonal changes in organism. Thus, the eyes of pregnant and lactating women may slightly change shade; the iris may become a tone darker even with prolonged use. eye drops containing hormones.

If not natural causes to change the eye color on the background hormonal changes in organism ( puberty, pregnancy and lactation, or its termination, severe stress), but the eyes have noticeably changed their color - this is a reason to visit the doctor. After all, a noticeable change in the color of the iris may be associated with hormonal imbalance in organism.

Eye color changes slightly in adults due to significant changes in diet. If you start eating foods with high content selenium, beta-carotene, vitamin A, tyrosine, lycopene and tryptophan, your eyes may darken slightly as these substances activate melanin production. The listed substances are found in fish and seafood, nuts, vegetables and fruits.

Eye color (as well as skin and hair shade) is largely determined by the amount of melanin in the human body. One of the functions of this pigment is protection against ultraviolet radiation. There are no UV rays in the womb. Therefore, the melanin content in newborns is minimal. In the first months of life, its amount increases, and accordingly, the color of the eyes of babies changes (many babies are born blue-eyed, and with age this color changes to darker).

Age-related changes

If we talk about what time eye color changes more or less accurately, then we can say the age is about six months. Usually by this time the eyes acquire a color that practically does not change with age.

Another mechanism for changing the color of the iris is not due to chemical processes associated with pigments, but to an optical phenomenon. The iris of the eye becomes larger with age (of course, this only applies to children). Changing the size of this membrane leads to darkening of the eyes.

As adults, some people sometimes develop dark spots on the iris, which differ from the main tone by more dark side. These spots are “analogues” of freckles.

In old age, the volume of melanin production decreases. As a result, hair turns gray and dark eyes become lighter. At the same time, the iris becomes much denser and less transparent in old age. Therefore, the light eyes of older people darken. This is why eye color changes with age.

Daily color changes

Can eye color change throughout the day? Pigmentation doesn't change that quickly. However, our perception of colors depends on a number of factors. The main ones are the size of the object and the background. Therefore, the color of the iris of the same person under the light of a dim lamp in dark time day and in the light of the sun may be perceived differently.

Besides, bright light constricts the pupil of the eye, which causes the visible part of the iris to enlarge and appear lighter. In the dark or poor lighting(as well as under the influence of alcohol or emotional factors) the black pupil becomes significantly wider, and this, against the background of dim lighting, leads to a visual darkening of the eye.

When increasing blood pressure blood vessels, located in the eye area, become overflowing with blood, while the whites of the eyes turn red. Sometimes the vessels burst, which leads to temporary bruising (the eyes become “bloodshot”). This change in the background on which the iris is located can lead to a sensation of a change in its tone.

Eye pigmentation does change as you age. First of all, this is due to changes in melanin concentration. All visible changes in eye color over the course of a day (or several days) are an optical illusion.

Often during childhood or at birth, the irises are light green or blue and change to brown or gray. This phenomenon is called change in eye color with age. This process often occurs from a change in emotional and morale, environment, mood or is associated with the development of the disease.

Why does the color change

In children, the iris of the eye can change up to 10-12 years, as there is a need for protection from ultraviolet rays. Melanocytes produce a substance called melanin. The pigment accumulates in the child’s body and appears as he grows up and is necessary means adaptation to environmental conditions. The more melanin, the darker the irises. And vice versa, if they are light, then the capacity of the substance is minimal. This explains the fact that the shells darken, but cannot lighten. Eye color in adults may also change, but this does not indicate pathology. Their changes are often not so obvious and frequent. Eye color can change by a couple of shades throughout life. People in the middle age of frequencies complain that they are discolored, but this is not a mutation.

Reasons why the iris may change

The proportion of melanin pigment and its distribution determines the color of the iris.

• aging. Cell growth slows down, functionality and regeneration deteriorate. Green eyes may look faded over the years due to the opacity of the iris, brown eyes have the ability to lighten;
• color environment. You can see how the color changes throughout the day. Everything happens depending on the clothes that people wear and the colors that are around them. They change the shade of the iris;
• lighting and weather. These factors also play important role: You can see how the eyes become brighter in sunny weather and how the eyes become dull on a cloudy day. Moreover, during daylight hours, when the pupil becomes narrow, the iris also darkens. At dusk, the opposite is observed: the pupil dilates, and the apples lighten (from dark brown to light, from blue to light blue);
• perception of light. People can even perceive the same colors differently. To some, the colors seem faded, while to others they seem bright and rich. For some, they became lighter, faded or faded;
• vitamins and nutrition. An overdose of medications containing selenium, vitamin A, tyrosine or an excess of these substances in the diet can increase the production of melanin, which causes changes in eye color;
• hormonal background. Menopause, pregnancy, depression, strong emotions can change the iris, apples can be faded.

How do chameleon eyes appear?

A person's eye color changes gradually over time and in different ranges. Sometimes changes depend on external conditions and then the shade changes. Chameleons' eyes often fade or fade over the course of their life. Changes can also be caused by work internal organs, aging, and then the color is transformed thoroughly: from light to dark. Sea green eyes can change to green, green eyes or blue eyes can change to brown.

It has been proven that a changeable shade can influence a person’s character. Typically, people with this feature have such traits as: indecisiveness, frequent shifts moods, desires, priorities in life, uncertainty. But on the other hand, we can also distinguish a lot positive qualities. People with chameleon eyes are good at communication, able to adapt to external circumstances, courageous and impetuous.