Hazel eyes may appear brown or greenish-brown in certain lighting conditions. This is due to the unique combination of pigments found in hazel eyes. While hazel eyes contain some eumelanin (brown pigment), they also contain a golden-yellow pigment called pheomelanin which gives hazel eyes their distinct multi-colored appearance.
What causes hazel eyes?
Hazel eyes are caused by a combination of the pigments eumelanin and pheomelanin in the iris. People with hazel eyes inherit a combination of genes that code for both light and dark pigments. This results in an eye color that shifts between brown, green, and light golden shades of brown. The amount of each pigment determines whether the hazel eyes look more brown or green.
Why do hazel eyes look brown sometimes?
Hazel eyes can look more brown in certain lighting conditions for a few reasons:
– Low light: In dim lighting, there is less light to illuminate the golden/green pheomelanin pigments, so hazel eyes default to the darker brown/eumelanin shades.
– Constricted pupils: When pupils are constricted in bright light, less of the golden-green pigment is visible around the pupil, so the brown tones dominate.
– Emotions: Some research suggests that hazel eyes may appear more golden-green when a person is happy and more brown when they are upset due to changes in pigment distribution.
How lighting affects hazel eye color
The different pigments in hazel eyes are illuminated differently depending on the lighting conditions:
– Bright sunlight: Hazel eyes look more green/golden because the pheomelanin pigments are highly illuminated.
– Overcast conditions: With less direct sunlight, hazel eyes tend to look darker and more brown.
– Indoor lighting: Artificial lights don’t bring out the pheomelanin as well, so hazel eyes appear darker inside.
– Front lighting: Illumination from the front highlights the green/golden rings in hazel irises.
– Back lighting: With light coming from behind, the brown/eumelanin pigments near the pupil are accentuated.
How hazel eyes compare to brown eyes
| Hazel Eyes | Brown Eyes |
|---|---|
| Contain a mix of eumelanin (brown) and pheomelanin (golden/yellow) pigments | Contain mainly eumelanin which makes them appear darker |
| Appear to shift between brown, greenish and light golden shades | Appear dark brown or blackish-brown |
| Lighting changes eye color by illuminating different pigments | Always appear brown regardless of lighting |
While hazel and brown eyes may look similar in some conditions, hazel eyes have a degree of color variation not seen in pure brown eyes. The pheomelanin in hazel irises gives them a lighter, golden-green appearance in certain lights that contrasts with the darker, uniform brown of true brown eyes.
Genetics behind hazel eyes
Hazel eyes arise from a genetic combination of variants for both light and dark pigments. Key genes involved in hazel eye color include:
– OCA2 & HERC2: These genes help produce eumelanin and determine overall eye color intensity. Variants reduce brown pigment levels in hazel eyes.
– SLC24A4: This gene controls golden-yellow pheomelanin production. Specific variants unique to hazel eyes increase pheomelanin.
– TYRP1 & TYR: These help regulate total melanin production. Mutations can favor pheomelanin over eumelanin.
To have hazel eyes, a person must inherit one set of variants permitting eumelanin production, along with another set allowing higher pheomelanin levels compared to brown eyes. This blend results in the hazel eye’s multi-colored appearance.
Hazel eye color over a lifetime
While hazel eye color is mostly stable, some subtle shifts can occur over a lifetime:
– Newborns: Hazel-eyed babies are usually born with blue/gray eyes that start getting flecks of brown and gold in the first 6-12 months.
– Early childhood: By age 3, the eye typically has its final hazel color but may still lighten somewhat by age 5-6.
– Adulthood: Hazel eyes are most vivid and multi-colored between ages 15-50. Eye color is most stable during this time.
– Elder years: After age 70, hazel eyes may darken slightly as melanin levels decrease and the lenses yellow. But the hazel pattern remains.
Though the balance of pigments may fluctuate, hazel eyes remain a mix of brown, green, and golden shades throughout life.
Notable people with hazel eyes
Many celebrities and historical figures have hazel eyes:
– Actors: Vanessa Williams, Chris Pine, Robert Pattinson
– Musicians: Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney, Ariana Grande
– Models: Chrissy Teigen, Cara Delevingne
– Politicians: Joe Biden, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
– Athletes: Tom Brady, Megan Rapinoe
– Artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Claude Monet
– Writers: Virginia Woolf, Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson
Conclusion
In summary, hazel eyes may appear brownish or greenish-brown depending on factors like lighting, pupil size, and emotion. The unique blend of melanin pigments produces hazel eyes’ shifting multi-colored appearance. While hazel eyes look similar to brown at times, the presence of pheomelanin gives hazel a distinctive luminosity and green-golden flecks that set them apart. Though subtle color changes can occur from youth to old age, hazel eyes remain a beautiful hybrid of light and dark shades lifelong. So hazel eyes do sometimes look brown, but maintain their signature hue.