Colored contact lenses are very common in todays society, and have always raised the question of, “Are those your real eyes?” Even in the early years of colored contacts, there was a saying in the optical industry, “Only your eye doctor knows the truth.”
There are those that have naturally, unique colored eyes. Last summer Jeremy Meeks, a gang member who was caught in possession of a firearm captivated women all over the world after his “bright blue eyed” mugshot was posted in a police fanpage. Highly uncommon for his ethnicity, it is rumored that he is planning a modeling career upon his release date.
Here is a breakdown of the different eye colors and the percentage of people that have them.
Brown Eyes
Brown eyes are the most common eye color in the world with over 55% of the world’s population having brown eyes. They are a dominant genetic trait, and is created by the presence of melanin in the eye. Over fifty percent of the world’s population has brown eyes, with nearly all individuals from Africa and Asia sharing brown eye color. Brown eyes are typically darker than other eye colors, and they may even appear black in certain individuals.
Hazel Eyes
Similar to brown eyes, there are Hazel eyes. Typically lighter in color, and have more of a green-yellow tint. Hazel eyes have a higher concentration of melanin (pigment) around the eye’s border, which can result in a multi-colored appearance that varies between copper and green depending on the lighting. Most people estimate that around 5-8% of the world’s population has hazel colored eyes.
Blue Eyes
Blue eyes are genetically recessive, and therefore much less common worldwide. Blue eyes are formed by the absence of pigments in the eye, where the blue color is formed by the scattering of light as it’s reflected off the iris. Blue eyes are less common than brown eyes, and frequently found from nationalities located near the Baltic sea in northern Europe. An estimated 8% of the world’s population has blue eyes.
Green Eyes
Green eye color is often confused with hazel eye color, yet is entirely separate and distinct. Green eye color is the rarest color found around the world, and it is estimated that only around 2% of the world’s population has green colored eyes. Green eye color is a result of a mild amount of pigmentation in the eye with a golden tint. When combined with the natural blue scattering of the eye, the colors mix to give a green appearance. Green eye color is most common in northern and central Europe, but can also be found in western Asian cultures on rare occasion.
Silver Eyes
Silver eye color is rare, although many consider silver eyes to be a variation of blue eye color. Like blue eyes, silver eyes are the result of a very low amount of pigmentation in the eye, which reflects a gray-silver appearance. Silver eye color is most common in eastern European countries, and is one of the rarer eye colors worldwide.
Amber Eyes
Amber eyes show off a yellow-copper tone, which results from the yellow colored pigment lipochrome. Amber eyes are very rare worldwide, and are most common in Asia and South American countries. Amber eye color can range from golden yellow to a more copper tone.
Like a fingerprint, the human eye is beautiful and unique. An individual’s eye color is specific only to them, with no others sharing the same shape, color and appearance, but for those looking to explore other color options, feel free to stop into one of our Dr. Tavel locations and ask about our Freshlook Colors contact lenses.