Genetics determine the color of the eyes, which often darkens in the first few years of life. As a person ages or the lighting shifts, eye color can change slightly, but some people seek lasting, significant adjustments.
If a person wants to change their eye color temporarily, this is most often accomplished with contact lenses. There are many types available that provide different effects.
For people hoping to alter their eye color permanently, iris implant surgery is available. However, due to the severe associated risks, many doctors discourage this option.
In this article, we describe how eye color develops and the most common ways to change it, temporarily or permanently.
The iris is the colored portion of the eye.
The iris can be:
A combination of the parents’ genes determines the color of the iris. Because of the many possible combinations, the eye color of a child may not match that of either parent, making it nearly impossible to predict.
Eye color can change over time, but only slightly.
The eye color of most babies will darken in the first few years of life. During this time, the body produces a darker pigment, known as melanin.
Expansion or contraction of the iris can also lead to minute changes in eye color.
This can occur when a person:
- focuses the eyes
- spends time either in very dark or brightly lit areas
- experiences strong emotions
People sometimes notice that their eye color lightens with age. This is natural and should not be a cause for concern.
Using tinted contact lenses is the most common way to change eye color for a short time.
Three types of lenses are available, depending on how drastic a change is desired. They include:
- visibility lenses
- enhancement lenses
- opaque lenses
Visibility lenses
These are lightly tinted, and will only have a small effect if a person’s eyes are very light in color.
Visibility lenses are tinted to help people see whether their lenses are in their case. The tinting also helps a person to find them if they are accidentally dropped.
Enhancement lenses
Enhancement lenses are semiopaque.
They do not fully alter the color of the eye, but they can intensify it, making it stand out more.
Opaque lenses
On these lenses, the iris is colored in fully, allowing a person to change their eye color completely.
Opaque lenses come in a variety of colors, including:
- violet
- blue
- green
- brown
- hazel
- gray
Risks of using contact lenses
As with corrective lenses, decorative lenses have certain risks. Failing to clean and care for contact lenses can, in some cases, result in blindness, as well as other eye issues.
The
The organization warns that buying lenses without a prescription increases the risk of developing:
- itchy, watery eyes
- blurry vision
- a scratched cornea
- partial vision loss or blindness
Whether they are tinted or clear, purchase contact lenses from sources that require or offer a prescription and are FDA-approved.
Also, the FDA recommend using the same care toward decorative lenses that a person uses on corrective lenses. This will help to avoid complications.