Hazel eyes are a mix of colors, often green, brown, and orange. The exact hue can vary dramatically, but hazel eyes typically appear light golden-green to amber or light brown. So in some cases, hazel eyes can indeed look mostly brown.
What determines eye color?
The color of the human eye is determined by the amount and quality of melanin in the iris. Melanin is a pigment that gives color to skin, hair, and eyes. People with low amounts of melanin have blue or green eyes, while those with higher concentrations have brown or black eyes.
Hazel eyes contain a combination of melanin pigments. The concentration and type of melanin fluctuate in hazel eyes, causing them to display an array of shades from gold to deep copper.
What are the most common hazel eye colors?
Here are some of the most common eye colors seen in hazel eyes:
- Green-hazel – Mostly greenish-gold or light brownish-green
- Light brown – Pale brown or honey-colored
- Amber – Vivid orange-brown or yellowish-brown
- Dark hazel – Dark golden-brown
- Brown – Mostly dark brown with little green or gold
The last type demonstrates how hazel eyes can appear predominantly brown. The amount of melanin is higher, overpowering the other hues of green, gold, or orange.
Why do hazel eyes look different in lighting?
Hazel eyes commonly appear to shift in color. This phenomenon occurs because the various melanin pigments in the iris respond differently to changes in lighting conditions.
In bright sunlight, the gold/green pigments in hazel eyes are more visible, causing the eyes to appear lighter. In dim lighting, the darker brown/amber pigments show more, making hazel eyes look darker.
| Lighting | Visible Pigments | Hazel Eye Color |
|---|---|---|
| Bright | Lighter green/gold | Golden-green |
| Dim | Darker brown/amber | Dark brown |
As shown in the table, the type of lighting brings out different pigments in hazel eyes, altering their apparent color.
How common are brownish hazel eyes?
There are no definitive statistics on the prevalence of specific hazel shades. However, brown hues are estimated to be quite common:
- Up to 25% of hazel eyes are golden-brown
- Around 20% are amber
- 15% are solid brown or close to brown
So in total, brownish hazel eyes may comprise 50-60% of all hazel eyes. The brown pigmentation is simply more dominant in these cases.
Can hazel eyes change over time?
Hazel eye color is generally stable, but subtle shifts can occur over one’s lifetime due to factors like:
- Melanin levels fluctuating with age
- Changes in melanin production due to medical conditions
- Environmental conditions like UV light exposure
For instance, hazel eyes may appear browner later in life as melanin quantities increase naturally. But in most people, the effect is quite small.
Conclusion
While hazel eyes typically display an array of green, brown, and gold hues, the brown pigmentation can certainly overpower the other colors in some individuals. Hazel eyes that appear mostly light or dark brown are not uncommon.
The predominance of brown simply indicates higher melanin content. And because melanin levels and types can vary within the iris, hazel eyes can shift between golden-green and darker amber-brown.
Ultimately, hazel eyes have an incredible range and dimensionality of color. Their mystique comes from the flecks, ripples, and bursts of contrasting pigments that collide within the iris. So while they may appear mostly brown, hazel eyes reveal their true multi-colored nature upon closer inspection.
