Many people with brown eyes admire the beautiful blue and green eyes that some people naturally possess. While eye color is determined by genetics, some wonder if contact lenses can artificially change their natural brown eye color to blue. Contact lenses provide a temporary way to change your eye color by covering the natural color of your iris. However, they cannot permanently alter your genetics to turn brown eyes blue. Let’s take a closer look at how contact lenses work and the options available for brown-eyed people who wish their eyes were blue.
How Your Eye Color is Determined
Human eye color originates with the amount and type of melanin found in the iris. Melanin is a pigment that also determines hair and skin color. There are two types of melanin:
– Eumelanin: A brown/black pigment that produces brown, black, and blue eyes. Higher amounts result in brown eyes.
– Pheomelanin: A red/yellow pigment that produces green, hazel, and amber eyes. Higher amounts result in green eyes.
The specific combination of eumelanin and pheomelanin levels produces your natural eye color. This is determined by the OCA2 and HERC2 genes inherited from your parents. These genes provide instructions for producing melanin. Generally speaking, brown eyes contain a high amount of eumelanin, while blue eyes contain low levels of melanin overall.
Contact Lenses Cover Your Natural Eye Color
Contact lenses are thin plastic discs placed directly on the surface of the eye to correct vision or change eye appearance. Contact lenses have no effect on the natural color of your iris underneath. Instead, color contact lenses cover up your real eye color with artificial color and effects. Most color contacts increase the visibility of veins and melanin flecks in brown eyes to simulate a light blue, green, or hazel color instead. This creates an illusion of a different eye color.
Contact Lens Colors Available for Brown Eyes
Many color contact brands offer contact lenses made specifically for people with brown eyes who want to change their eye color temporarily. Here are some of the most popular colored contact options:
| Contact Lens Color | Effect on Brown Eyes |
|---|---|
| Bright Blue | Transforms brown eyes to look like a vivid light blue by covering melanin |
| Ocean Blue | Mimics a deeper ocean blue tone over brown eyes |
| Emerald Green | Changes brown eyes to an emerald green hue |
| Hazel | Gives brown eyes an exotic golden, light brown or greenish tint |
| Honey | Makes brown eyes resemble a warm honey or amber color |
These effects are only temporary while wearing the colored contacts. Your natural eye pigment remains unchanged.
Considerations for Colored Contacts on Brown Eyes
Before changing your brown eyes to blue with colored contacts, keep these considerations in mind:
Appearance
– The artificial eye color may seem less natural and transparent on very dark brown eyes. Lighting conditions can also affect how contact lens colors show.
– Visible veins, specks, and melanin in brown eyes may still be apparent behind lighter contact lens colors.
– Color contacts dim the apparent size of your pupils and irises.
Comfort and Safety
– Contacts must be properly fitted for your eyes and prescription. Poor fitting leads to irritation and vision issues.
– Non-prescription costume contacts don’t correct vision and have higher risks.
– Follow all usage and care instructions from your eye doctor to avoid eye health complications.
– Give your eyes frequent breaks from contact lenses to avoid blood vessel and corneal damage.
Legal Restrictions
– Many places ban colored contacts requiring prescriptions or doctor supervision for use, especially bright opaque colors.
– Jobs may prohibit unnatural eye colors that don’t match official IDs. Schools often don’t allow contacts.
– Use due diligence to follow all laws regarding contact lenses in your region.
Are Permanent Color Changing Procedures Safe?
Some clinics offer laser or surgical procedures claiming to permanently change brown eyes blue by removing iris pigment. However, these invasive methods carry high risks of significant vision loss and other dangerous side effects. None are currently approved as safe or effective by major health agencies. It’s generally not possible to fully and permanently override your natural eye color with current technology.
Conclusion
While colored contact lenses can temporarily transform brown eyes into lighter colors like blue and green, they cannot change your underlying iris pigment and genetics. Make sure to take proper safety precautions when using color contacts. For those who dream of permanent blue eyes, it’s best to reconsider unrealistic expectations and instead embrace the beautiful brown eyes you were born with. With the right eye makeup techniques, brown eyes can also appear brighter and highlighted. But risks of permanent eye color surgery outweigh any benefits. Loving the eye color passed down by your ancestry can help build confidence and self-acceptance.
