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What Are Hazel Eyes?

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structure image What Are Hazel Eyes?

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Hazel is a rare eye color that contains a combination of different hues. This blend of colors helps give hazel eyes their unique appearance and is perhaps one of the reasons they’re ranked among the most attractive eye colors.    

Read on to learn more about hazel-colored eyes, the genetics behind them, and how they differ from other eye colors. 

What Color Is Hazel? 

Hazel eyes typically contain a mixture of brown, gold, or green. They may have some of each color or a combination of two of these colors.  

 

There are two main varieties of hazel-colored eyes. These are based on whether brown or green is more prominent in your eye color.  

 

The primary types of hazel eye color include: 

 
  • Hazel-brown eyes – Their dominant hue is brown, and they’re the more common variety of hazel eye color. The brown shade may vary, ranging from light brown to dark brown. 
  • Hazel-green eyes – Their dominant hue is green, and they’re a less common type of hazel eye color. The green tint can range from an olive or yellow-green to a light gray-green shade. 
 

Hazel eye color doesn’t have one particular shade. Rather, it can vary from person to person, Some people have hazel eyes that appear more golden or greenish-brown. They can also have a blue-hazel tint in some instances. 

How Do Hazel Eyes Get Their Color? 

Genetics and melanin are two factors that help determine your eye color. We discuss them below. 

Hazel Eyes and Genetics 

In the past, it was believed that only one gene could determine your iris color. (The iris is the colored area surrounding your pupil, the black area in the center of your eye). This belief implied that you couldn't have brown-colored eyes if both of your parents had blue eyes.  

 

However, further research has shown that multiple genes affect the genetics of eye color inheritance.  

 

Genetics are complex and can be unpredictable. While a child's eye color is often similar to their relatives' eye colors, they can have hazel-colored eyes, even if no one in their immediate family does. 

Hazel Eyes and Melanin 

The amount, type, and distribution of melanin in your irises also help determine your eye color.  

 

Melanin is the pigment that provides color to your eyes, hair, and skin. If your body has high melanin production, you'll have darker features. If it has low melanin production, you’ll have lighter features, such as lighter-colored eyes and fairer skin.  

 

The iris has a front and back layer. The melanin distribution between these layers also affects eye color. 

 

Researchers categorize eye color melanin into two types: 

 
  • Eumelanin –This is what gives your eyes a dark color. A high concentration of eumelanin in the irises results in brown eyes, while a lower, more scattered amount produces blue eyes. 
  • Pheomelanin –This reddish-yellow pigment can give your irises a yellowish hue if it’s found in high concentrations. 
 

Lighter-colored eyes have a higher concentration of pheomelanin than eumelanin. Hazel eyes contain both eumelanin and pheomelanin, but the amounts differ based on their location in the iris. This uneven distribution causes hazel-colored eyes to appear as if they have different colors instead of a single color like brown eyes. 

How Do You Differentiate Hazel from Other Eye Colors? 

Hazel eyes may appear similar to green, brown, or amber-colored eyes, but they’re unique in their own ways. We discuss their differences below.  

Hazel vs. Green Eyes 

In green eyes, there’s usually only one color throughout the iris. Melanin is more evenly distributed, causing light to scatter and making the eyes appear green.  

 

In hazel eyes, melanin has an uneven distribution, which can produce shades of brown, green, gold, and even blue.  

Hazel vs. Brown Eyes 

Brown eyes can appear to be black or various shades of brown. This is because they have a high eumelanin concentration compared to other eye colors. The pigment allows more light to be absorbed and causes the iris to appear brown in color.  

 

Hazel eyes can also have green, blue, or gold flecks. These typically don't exist in brown eyes. 

Hazel vs. Amber Eyes 

Amber eyes have more pheomelanin than eumelanin, which is evident in their yellowish tint. In fact, if someone has amber-colored eyes, you may notice that their eyes contain a solid golden or yellowish color. Their eyes may also have a light-brown ring that surrounds the pupil. 

 

On the contrary, hazel eyes have a lower pheomelanin concentration, and melanin is dispersed in different amounts. They have a combination of multiple colors, which usually isn’t present in amber eyes. 

Can Hazel Eyes Change Color? 

Your eyes may seem to change color in different lighting or when you’re wearing certain clothing or makeup. However, the actual hue of your eyes doesn’t change. These factors simply create the illusion that your eyes are changing color, even though their true color remains the same.  

 

Certain conditions, medications, and trauma can cause your eyes to change color, but this is very rare. Changes in the size of your pupil may also affect the appearance of your iris. Consult your eye doctor if you notice any changes in your eyes or vision.

   

You may be able to temporarily “change” your eye color with colored contact lenses.. If you don’t wear prescription glasses or contact lenses for vision correction, you’ll still need a prescription to buy colored contacts.  

 

You should first speak with your eye doctor to ensure contactsare safe for your eyes. They may also recommend eyewear products that might be suitable for your vision needs.  

How Rare Are Hazel Eyes? 

Hazel is one of the rarest eye colors in the world. Only 5% of the global population has hazel-colored eyes. You’re most likely to find people with this eye color in Spain, the Middle East, Brazil, and North Africa. Around 15% of the U.S. population has hazel eyes. 

 

A lot of celebrities have hazel eye color, including:  

 
  • Demi Moore 
  • Ben Affleck 
  • Ryan Reynolds 
  • Kevin Jonas 
  • Angelina Jolie  
  • Lady Gaga 
  • Rebel Wilson 

Keeping Your Hazel Eyes Healthy 

People with hazel or other light-colored eyes may have an increased risk for photophobia, a condition where your eyes are sensitive to light. Since they have a lower melanin concentration than dark-colored eyes, they’re less effective at blocking light from the sun and other sources.    

If you have light sensitivity, you may experience discomfort or need to squint to see clearly in bright light. This typically won’t have permanent effects on your vision, but ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can harm your eyes. Wearing sunglasses with 100% UV protectioncan help reduce your risk of eye damage and disease, regardless of your eye color.  

 

Experts recommend attending routine eye exams to get your eyes checked, even if you don’t appear to have vision-related issues. Your eye doctor can examine your eyes and determine if you have any eye health or vision concerns.