Gray eyes are always intriguing. They’re one of those eye colors that makes you sit up and take notice.
You look at them under varied light conditions, and they’re different each time. Amazing!
But what causes gray eyes, and how do they differ from other eye colors? Let’s dive in and find out!
Melanin and Gray Eyes
First, let’s break down what causes gray eyes. One of the major factors is the amount of melanin in your irises.
The melanin in the iris absorbs different wavelengths of light. Darker eyes absorb more light and reflect less light. Conversely, lighter eyes reflect more light and absorb less light. This is what gives eyes their color.
People with brown eyes have a large amount of melanin in their eyes. However, people with blue eyes have very little melanin. So, when light hits their irises, a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering occurs. Instead of being absorbed, light scatters, giving off a blue hue.
Those with gray eyes are in the middle of these extremes. They absorb some of the light while also scattering the rest. The result: These eyes feature different shades of gray, depending on lighting conditions.
Genetics play a large role in determining how much melanin is distributed in your iris. Two of the major genes that control melanin production are the OCA2 and HERC2 genes.
Collagen and the Different Shades of Gray
The changing hues of gray eyes are, perhaps, their most alluring quality. Under the sun, they may seem blue or green. In darker lighting, they appear darker, too. You see chilling steel-gray or maybe even warm brown eyes.
This is caused by the play of melanin with collagen. Collagen makes up about 30% of the protein in your body. You have some of this in your eyes, too. The amount of collagen in the eyes varies by person.
People with gray eyes tend to have more collagen in their eyes. Combined with your lower melanin level, you get the different hues of gray, ever changing with the light.
Gray Eyes and Health
Much like people with blue eyes, gray-eyed folks may be more sensitive to light. This is because they have less melanin in their eyes. Less melanin means that light that enters your eyes is scattered, rather than absorbed. When this happens, it can overstimulate your eye’s photoreceptors.
There are also other possible causes of light sensitivity. It’s not just your eye color. Your pupils might be large, so more light enters. As you get older, you may also start becoming more sensitive to light. Underlying medical conditions, such as photophobia, keratitis, and iritis, may also make you more sensitive to bright light.
Other than light sensitivity, gray eyes have not been linked to any other health conditions.
How Rare Are Gray Eyes?
The rarest eye color is still up for debate, with green eyes battling it out against grays. Globally, only 2% of people have green eyes; 9% of those people are in the U.S.
Grays, on the other hand, range from 1% to 3% globally. This disparity may be because grays were once lumped together with blue-eyed folks.
So, how many gray eyes are there really? The exact number is hard to pin down. Nonetheless, it’s telling that less than 1% of the U.S. population has gray eyes. That’s way less compared to greens.
Celebrities With Gray Eyes
If you have gray eyes, you have company in Hollywood! There are numerous celebrities with gray eyes. This includes:
- Olivia Wilde: The House actress is one of the best-known actresses with gray eyes.
- Hugh Laurie: The House actor has distinct blue-gray eyes.
- Ian Somerhalder: The Lost actor is known for his piercing blue-gray eyes.
- Kate Bosworth: The Superman Returns actress has heterochromia, and one of her eyes is gray.
- Henry Cavill: The Superman star has pale blue-gray eyes.
Best Eyeglasses for Gray Eyes
Your choice of eyeglasses can help draw attention to your gray eyes! Use cool tones, such as silvers and grays, to make your eyes pop. Choose warmer hues, such as tortoiseshell, brown, and red, to contrast the gray of your eyes.
Enhance With Cool-Toned Frames
Ray-Ban RX6335
The Ray-Ban RX6335 eyeglasses have a gunmetal frame color option that’s perfect for gray eyes. These Ray-Ban frames are lightweight and semi-rimless eyeglasses that suit both men and women.
Giorgio Armani AR7074
The Giorgio Armani AR7074 eyeglasses are a stylish, full-rimmed acetate pair that comes in a transparent gray frame color.
Add Warmth and Contrast With Darker Tones
Warm tones provide contrast with your gray eyes. This includes tortoiseshell, brown, rose gold, bronze, deep red, or burgundy.
Gucci GG0026O
The Gucci GG0026O are a classic pair of Gucci eyeglasses that are both luxurious and comfy. Get them in burgundy for a perfect contrast to your gray eyes.
Prada PR 17ZV
The caramel/Havana tortoiseshell hue of the Prada PR 17ZV contrasts with your grays in the best way possible. This stylish pair draws focus to your eyes.
Colored Contacts for Gray Eyes
Don’t have gray eyes, but want to try them out? Use colored contacts! AIR OPTIX® offers a gray shade that’s perfect for this. EZContacts customer Wanda O. tried them and loved them:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sterling Grey
“Awesome”
If you’re looking for daily disposable lenses, check out Dailies Colored Contacts. Their ‘Mystic Gray’ shade can give you the color you’re looking for.
Colored contacts are a great way to try out gray eyes. Remember that you’ll need a prescription from your eye doctor to purchase colored contacts.
Embracing Your Gray Eyes
If you’re lucky enough to be blessed with beautiful gray eyes, celebrate them! Those eyes of yours are aesthetic blessings.
You can plan your makeup and clothing to highlight your eyes. Shades of purples, blues, and silver will all pair well with your gray eyes.
Of course, with amazing-colored eyes comes some responsibility. Melanin works as an eye shield, protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays. Since you have less melanin, you need to double down on your protective eyewear. Always have UV-blocking sunglasses with you. Likewise, protect yourself from blue light by setting up the built-in filter of your digital devices.
With regular eye checkups and UV protection, gray eyes rule!
TL;DR
- Gray eyes are enthralling eyes that are some of the rarest in the world.
- Gray eyes have less melanin than brown eyes, but they have a tad bit more than blue eyes.
- Gray eyes appear to be different colors, sometimes blue, green, or even brown, because of lighting and the play between collagen and melanin.
- Green eyes and gray eyes are in contention for the rarest eye color.
- Hugh Laurie and Olivia Wilde are some of the popular celebrities with gray eyes.
- Looking for eyeglasses for your gray eyes? Choose cool tones to make your eyes pop. Or, choose warm tones to provide contrast.
- There are also colored contacts available to make your eyes gray. AIR OPTIX and Dailies offer gray shades.
- You can also use makeup and clothing to highlight your eyes.
- Don’t forget to protect yourself from harmful UV rays through sunglasses and digital screen filters.
