What color comes to mind when I ask you what eye color is most beautiful?
Green, blue, maybe hazel?
There isn’t a right or wrong answer, but what might surprise you is that alluring eyes aren’t just about eye color.
Some studies show people are drawn to limbal rings.
You may be thinking, what on earth is that? It’s the dark ring that surrounds your eye, and it can make all the difference. Find out why!
What Is a Limbal Ring?
When you look at the colored part of your eye, do you see a dark ring around it that separates the iris from the sclera (the white layer of your eyeball)? That’s a limbal ring.
The limbal ring isn’t known to affect your eyesight or help you see better. But limited research suggests that a dark, prominent limbal ring may be associated with a less transparent cornea.
While you might notice your limbal rings stand out (or don’t), they’re not associated with having a certain health condition. So simply having prominent limbal rings shouldn’t be a cause for concern.
Different people have different color limbal rings, depending on their eye color (more on that later). If yours appear darker or you have dark brown eyes and can barely see them, don’t fret. It’s perfectly normal for these rings to appear in different shades and to different degrees of pronunciation.
Is a Limbal Ring a Rare Genetic Trait?
The short answer is no. Limbal rings aren’t rare; in fact, quite the opposite. Most people are born with them, and they’re even more noticeable in babies, hence why they appear to have huge eyes at that age.
It’s also more pronounced in young, healthy people. It can thin over the years, becoming less noticeable. It’s not something to necessarily worry about; it’s a natural part of aging, similar to graying hair.
Some people’s limbal rings stay prominent. This is particularly the case for those with lighter eyes.
Lighter colored eye colors often show off the dark exterior ring better, such as hazel and baby blue eyes.
What Do Limbal Rings Have to Do With Attraction?
I’m not going to get too deep into the biology or psychology of this one, but to sum it up, some researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi did a study on how attractive people find other people with dark or prominent limbal rings.
The results were pretty interesting, and they were published in a study called Put a (Limbal) Ring on It: Women Perceive Men’s Limbal Rings as a Health Cue in Short-Term Mating Domains in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
It’s not just about some vague sense of attractiveness. The study showed that limbal rings appeal to our evolution as they are an indicator of good health. If you remember anything from biology class, signs of good health often appeal to humans when choosing a mate.
According to the study, women are especially attracted to prominent limbal rings.
Eyes Show Off Your Beauty
Healthy eyes usually have a good contrast between the sclera (the white layer) and the iris (the colored circle). Limbal rings enhance the edge of your iris and make your eyes stand out even more.
They’re a sign of youth, and they’re one of the reasons some people’s eyes are seen as striking or mesmerizing. Young people typically have more pronounced limbal rings, which is another reason that they can be a sign of attractiveness.
Biological signs of youth and vitality are instinctual when finding a partner. However, it should be noted that just because, with age, limbal rings may fade or become less prominent, it doesn’t mean your eyes (or you, for that matter) are inherently less attractive.
The Effects of Different Eye Colors
The color of your eyes dictates the shade (and sometimes prominence) of the outer limbal ring.
Brown Eyes: Chocolate brown or very dark brown irises don’t often reveal the outer ring very clearly. The distinction between the dark outer ring isn’t obvious when the rest of the iris is also dark.
Blue Eyes: Limbal rings often stand out when it comes to blue eyes because they’re typically much darker than the rest of the iris. The contrast makes the ring particularly striking.
Green Eyes: This eye color is pretty rare (how many people do you know with green eyes?). The outer ring of the iris stands out a lot; similarly to blue eyes, it creates a pop of color.
Hazel Eyes: Some people get mixed up between hazel and brown. Hazel eyes commonly feature a mix of brown, green, and gold flecks. Because they’re lighter than dark brown eyes, the limbal ring stands out more.
Gray Eyes: In gray eyes, the limbal ring can appear similar to how it would in blue eyes. It’s a darker gray/blue shade, which contrasts with the rest of the iris, making the color pop.
Amber Eyes: Some amber eyes have prominent brownish limbal rings that frame the color nicely. Others feature barely-there outer rings in more subtle green or hazel colors. The lack of a dark limbal ring can make some amber eyes appear even lighter.
Colored Contacts for a Little Enhancement
There are reputable colored contact brands that can help your limbal ring stand out. Just remember that you’ll need to get a prescription from your eye doctor before you can buy colored contacts.
AIR OPTIX COLORS offers a wide range of shades to choose from, including green, blue, and hazel.
EZContacts customer Linda Z. loves AIR OPTIX COLORS’ silver shade. She showed off her bright eyes, writing:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Very comfortable and GORGEOUS color!!
“I have been wearing these contacts for years and am still absolutely in love with them! Very comfortable and I get so many compliments on the color. Sterling Silver over brown eyes (they almost look blue though).”
There’s also Dailies, which offers vibrant gemstone shades of gray, green, hazel, and blue. Reviewer Julie liked the subtle but noticeable change in her eye color:
“I have brown eyes and these contacts add a very nice depth of color change. Not too noticeable but not over the top.”
FreshLooks by Alcon is another reputable brand that has been around a while. They feature different shades of blue and green, ranging from gemstone green to turquoise.
Customer Kettia has been wearing hers for years:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’m so happy with my order i will definitely recommend to friends
“I got a pure hazel that’s my favorite color I’ve been using eyes contact about 14 years now never got a problem with it.”
If you want a pair that specifically makes your limbal ring pop, you may want to opt for a lighter color like blue, green, or gray. However, different contacts will have different effects, and some won’t look as realistic.
Olens is a Korean contact lens brand that’s been making waves for its realistic-looking contact lenses, which create a fresh, youthful look. But you’ll notice how the limbal ring isn’t that prominent.
Why?
Because sometimes colored contacts that feature very striking, bold, and bright limbal rings can end up looking more like contacts and less like your natural eye color.
So it really does depend on what kind of look you’re going for. Also, Olens and other K-brands may ship from abroad, taking much longer to reach you.
Medical Conditions That Affect the Limbal Ring
Since limbal rings change as you age, you might notice some fading as you get older. There are also a few medical conditions that can affect how the rings appear.
If you’re under 40 and notice a light blue, grayish, or white ring around your cornea, it might be something you should look into. Corneal arcus is normal in people over 50 or 60, but in younger people, it might indicate high cholesterol or other conditions. If you’re older, it’s generally no cause for concern and doesn’t need removing.
Kayser-Fleischer Rings
This condition causes dark circles to form on the inner surface of the cornea. They’re a result of copper deposits that settle in your eye after traveling through your bloodstream.
However, they’re not very noticeable, so some people won’t even know there’s a problem. The best way to get a diagnosis is by seeing an eye doctor for an exam.
It’s easier to see the Kayser-Fleischer ring in lighter eyes because the dark ring stands out more. In dark brown eyes, they’re harder to spot. A common cause of these rings is Wilson’s disease, which leads to copper accumulation in the body. When it clumps together, it causes Kayser-Fleischer rings in the eyes.
Common FAQS
Are limbal rings rare?
No, limbal rings are a natural feature in the human eye, so it’s not a rare trait. They are not as noticeable or obvious in some people’s eyes because of aging and darker eye colors.
What does it look like to not have a limbal ring?
Some people don’t have prominent outer rings, sometimes due to age. It then appears that the iris is the same color to the edge without a distinct line to separate the white part.
At what age do limbal rings fade?
There isn’t a distinct year or age at which they start to fade, but it typically starts to happen in your 20s or 30s. Different health factors can also contribute.
As we age, the tissue and structure of our eyes change, which can lead to a shift in how limbal rings appear. But it’s usually no cause for concern.
How do I make my limbal rings stand out more?
You can’t really do anything to enhance the rings around your irises naturally, but you can enhance your eyes. There’s eyeliner, which women commonly wear to make their eyes pop. You could also choose a pair of colored contact lenses, but you would need to get a prescription.
Ensuring you have good eye health is also important for keeping your eyes looking bright. That’s one reason to ensure you make regular visits to your eye doctor.
TL;DR
- Limbal rings are the dark outer ring of the iris (the colored part of the eye). They’re deemed an attractive feature that can make your eyes pop.
- There are a few major color contact lens brands, such as AIR OPTIX COLORS, which offer a variety of options, including bright green and bold blue.
- Limbal rings are also a sign of youth and vitality because they’re more prominent in young people.
- They can start to fade with age, usually declining in prominence in the 20s/30s.
- Dark brown eyes don’t show the outer rings as much as blue, green, or hazel eyes because there’s less contrast between the colored and white parts of the eye.
- Limbal rings have been shown to increase a person’s attractiveness based on biological instincts, as they indicate good health.
- There are a few medical conditions that affect the limbal rings or distort them. Although some are not obvious, regular visits to an eye doctor can help ensure eye health.
- You can’t enhance the outer ring of your eyes, but you can make your eyes pop with contact lenses or eye makeup.
