The color of the eyes is determined by genetics and, therefore, remains very similar from the moment of birth. However, there are also cases of babies born with light-colored eyes, which then become darker over time, especially in the first few years of life.
But after the first 2 or 3 years of childhood, the iris color of the eyes is usually already defined and stays the same for the rest of life, being one of the 5 natural colors:
- Brown;
- Blue;
- Hazelnut;
- Green;
- Grey.
Any other color, such as red, black or white, does not come through a natural process and is therefore only achieved through other techniques, such as wearing glasses or surgery, for example.
Even people who want to change eye color into one of 5 natural colors can not do it by a natural process and need to use artificial techniques such as:
1. Using Colored Contact Lenses
This is the best known and most widely used technique for changing the iris color of the eyes and is the use of artificial contact lenses over the eye, changing the color underneath.
There are 2 main types of lenses to change eye color:
- Opaque lenses : completely change the color of the eye because they have a layer of paint that completely covers the natural color of the eye. Although they cause the greatest change in eye color and can be of almost any color, they may also look very fake and not the best choice for anyone who wants to keep eye color as natural as possible.
- Improvement lenses : they have a slight layer of paint that improves the natural color of the eye, in addition to making the iris boundaries more defined.
In both cases, the paints used on the lenses are safe and do not pose any health risk. However, and just like the lenses used to correct vision problems, you need to be careful when putting or removing lenses to prevent infection or injury to the eye. See the care you must have when wearing contact lenses.
Although these lenses can be purchased freely without a prescription, it is always best to consult an ophthalmologist.
2. Iris implant surgery
This is still a rather recent and controversial technique in which the iris, which is the part of the eye that has color, is removed and replaced with another of a compatible donor. Initially, this surgery was developed to correct lesions in the iris, but has been increasingly used by people who want to definitely change eye color.
While it may be a technique with long-lasting results, it has several risks like loss of vision, glaucoma or onset of cataracts. Therefore, although it may be done in some places, it is very important to discuss with the doctor the possible risks and to evaluate the doctor's experience in performing this procedure.
3. Use of makeup to improve eye color
The makeup can not change the color of the eyes, however, when it is well used, it can help to improve the natural color of the eye, intensifying the tone of the iris.
According to the color of the eyes, a specific type of eye shadow should be used:
- Blue eyes : use shade with orange tones, like coral or champagne;
- Brown eyes : apply a purple or blue shade;
- Green eyes : prefer purple or brown shadows.
In the case of gray or hazel eyes, it is common to have a mixture of another color, such as blue or green, so blue or green shades of shade should be used according to the color desired.
Also check out 7 important tips to have a perfect makeup and improve the effect.
Does the color of the eyes change over time?
The color of the eyes remains the same from childhood, as it is determined by the amount of melanin in the eye. Thus, people with more melanin present darker color, while others have lighter eyes.
The amount of malin remains similar over the years and therefore the color does not change. Although it is more common that the amount of melanin is equal in both eyes, there are also rarer cases where the amount varies from one eye to the other, resulting in different colored eyes, which is known as heterochromia.
Learn more about heterochromia and why it is possible to have one eye of each color.
