Brown eyes are the most common eye color, with over half the world’s population having brown eyes. Eye color is determined by genetics, specifically the amount of melanin pigment in the iris of the eye. Brown eyes have a high concentration of melanin, while blue eyes have very little. As we age, the melanin and collagen in the iris can change, which can sometimes cause brown eyes to lighten or take on an amber hue.
What Causes Eye Color?
Eye color is determined by the amount and type of melanin pigment in the iris. Here are the key points about what controls eye color:
| Melanin | Brown pigment that controls eye color. More melanin = darker eyes. |
| Eumelanin | Brown/black melanin that produces brown/black eyes. |
| Pheomelanin | Red/yellow melanin that produces green/amber eyes. |
| Iris | The colored part of the eye that controls light levels entering the eye. Contains melanin. |
The two main types of melanin are eumelanin and pheomelanin. Eyes with a high concentration of eumelanin appear brown or black, while eyes with more pheomelanin appear amber or green.
Can Brown Eyes Change Color With Age?
The short answer is yes, brown eyes can lighten to amber as a person ages. However, it is not extremely common and depends on the individual’s genes. Here are some key points about brown eyes changing over time:
– For most people, eye color remains relatively stable throughout life after the initial change from infant blue eyes to adult eye color around age 3.
– However, some brown-eyed individuals may see their eye color lighten to a honey or amber tone later in life. This is caused by changes in melanin and collagen levels in the iris as we age.
– Pheomelanin levels may increase relative to eumelanin, reducing the overall darkness of the iris and creating a lighter brown, amber hue.
– Loss of collagen and muscle tone in the iris can also reduce the density of melanin and allow more light to reflect back, lightening brown eyes.
– Environmental factors like sunlight exposure can bleach melanin over time and cause the iris to lighten somewhat.
– Eye trauma, such as blunt force or surgical trauma to the eye, can potentially damage the iris and cause pigment loss.
– For most though, brown eye color remains stable from childhood onward, only lightening very gradually and subtly over decades, if at all.
What Factors Influence Eye Color Changes?
There are several factors that may influence changes in brown eye color over a person’s lifetime. Here are some of the key factors:
| Genetics | The genes inherited from parents greatly control melanin production. |
| Ethnicity | Those with mixed ethnic backgrounds are more likely to experience color changes. |
| Age | Aging affects melanin levels and collagen in the iris over time. |
| Sunlight | UV exposure can bleach melanin and lighten eye color slightly. |
| Injuries | Trauma to the eye could potentially impact iris pigmentation. |
| Medications | Some drugs like chloroquine may increase melanin production. |
Genetics play the biggest role in determining eye color and any potential changes over time. Those with mixed ethnic backgrounds often exhibit more variation in eye color. Environment, aging, and injuries may also influence subtle shifts in shade.
What Age Does Eye Color Change?
For most people with brown eyes, their eye color is set by early childhood:
– Babies are usually born with slate blue/gray eyes due to lack of melanin.
– Eye color starts to develop around 3-6 months as melanin levels increase.
– By age 1, true eye color is usually established.
– For Caucasians, full adult eye color is often set by age 3. Non-Caucasians take a bit longer, stabilizing around age 5-7.
– After age 3-7, most brown eyes remain stable with little change throughout life.
– Some brown-eyed individuals may experience very gradual lightening to a honey-amber color in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond.
– Environmental factors like sunlight exposure can also slowly bleach melanin over decades.
So while genetically-programmed eye color is set in early childhood, aging and sun exposure may lead to very subtle, gradual shifts in shade for some people with brown eyes.
Can Diet, Exercise, Lifestyle Impact Eye Color?
No, diet, exercise and lifestyle habits cannot directly impact eye color after childhood. Here is an overview:
– Nutrition: No foods or vitamins can shift genetically-determined eye color in adults.
– Exercise: Physical activity has no effect on melanin levels in the iris after childhood.
– Lifestyle: Habits like smoking and drinking do not alter adult eye color.
– Supplements: No supplements have been shown to permanently change natural eye color in adults.
– Lasers: Low-level light therapy also cannot safely or permanently alter natural eye color.
– Surgery: The only proven way to change eye color after childhood is through reconstructive iris implant surgery. This carries significant risks.
While factors like diet cannot alter eye color after childhood, maintaining good nutrition supports overall eye health as we age. But true eye color changes depend almost entirely on genetics for most individuals.
Examples of Brown Eyes Turning Amber
Though not extremely common, there are some real-world examples of brown eyes turning amber/light brown with age:
– Former model Tyra Banks’ eyes were dark brown in her youth but are now a distinctly light hazel shade.
– British royal Kate Middleton’s eyes were a nearly blackish brown but now appear distinctly light brown.
– Actor Robert Redford’s eyes darkened from a light brown to nearly black when he was younger but are back to a medium amber-brown hue.
– Model Heidi Klum’s very dark brown eyes have subtly lightened to a warm honey brown over the years.
– Many mixed ethnicity individuals with a brown eyed parent and lighter eyed parent exhibit color changes like darker brown lightening to a golden-brown shade.
So while quite rare, some high profile examples exist of brown eyes shifting to lighter, amber-like tones with advancing age for certain individuals.
What About Contact Lenses or Lasers?
Neither contact lenses nor laser eye treatments can permanently change genetically-determined brown eye color. Here is an overview of each option:
| Contact Lenses | – Colored lenses only create an artificial appearance change. |
| – Once removed, natural eye color returns. | |
| Laser Eye Surgery | – Lasers cannot lighten natural eye color. |
| – May have slight lightening effect over months but impact is temporary. | |
| Iris Implants | – Involves surgically implanting a new colored artificial iris. |
| – Risky procedure with possibility of vision impairment. |
While cosmetic contact lenses can mimic lighter eyes, they have no permanent impact on melanin. Lasers provide only a minimal temporary effect. Iris implants are the only way to truly convert brown eyes to another color but carry substantial risk of side effects.
The Takeaway on Brown Eyes Turning Amber
In summary:
– For most, brown eye color remains consistent from childhood onward. Subtle lightening happens very gradually over decades.
– Aging, sun exposure, and changes in iris collagen and melanin can contribute to slight lightening or acquisition of an amber tint in some individuals.
– Those with mixed genetic backgrounds are most likely to experience shifts from darker to lighter brown shades.
– While possible, dramatic changes from very dark brown to light brown/amber are uncommon.
– Contact lenses, lasers and supplements don’t provide permanent color change. Iris implants carry significant risk.
– Maintaining good nutrition, avoiding smoking and wearing sunglasses promotes overall eye health as we age but won’t directly impact iris pigmentation.
So while a slight amber shift is possible for some, brown eyes tend to remain relatively stable in adulthood. More dramatic changes are dictated by unique genetics rather than lifestyle factors.
Conclusion
While most brown-eyed individuals will see little change in their eye color over their lifetimes, some may experience a subtle lightening effect as they age. A small percentage of people with brown eyes may develop an amber, hazel or golden brown hue to their irises over time due to shifts in melanin and collagen levels. Factors like genetics, ethnicity, sun exposure, and injuries to the eyes can all potentially influence these changes. However, dramatic shifts from very dark brown to light brown are uncommon. Contact lenses, lasers, and supplements cannot permanently alter genetically programmed eye color in adults. Maintaining healthy lifestyle habits is important for overall eye health but does not directly impact iris pigmentation. For the majority with brown eyes, their color will remain relatively constant throughout adulthood. But a small possibility exists for gradual lightening to a honey or amber tone later in life for some individuals.
