Blue Eyes

The science behind Blue Eyes:

Scientists believe that every person with blue eyes shares a common ancestor. This eye color first originated somewhere between 6-10 thousand years ago as a result of a genetic mutation. The mutated gene interferes with the body's ability to produce melanin in the iris of the eye. Melanin is a pigment that provides color to the eye, skin and hair. Since less melanin is produced, eye color manifests as a blue. This mutation affects only the iris of the eye and does not stop melanin production, only reduces it.

Interestingly there are no blue pigments in the eye. Blue eyes, as well as green and hazel eyes, appear a certain color because of a principle known as Rayleigh Scattering, which is the reason the sky appears blue, even though it isn't actually that color. Lighter eye colors, like blue eyes, are largely affected by the colors and light around them. The appearance of the eyes can vary from moment to moment.

Where do blue eyes come from?:

Blue eyes can be found in many countries throughout the world, but are more common in Northern Europe and near the Baltic Sea in countries like Denmark, Sweden and Norway. In areas where blue eyes are predominant, 80% of the population or more may carry this eye color. Blue eyes can also be found in Western Asia and in the Jewish population in Israel. In the United States blue eyes are becoming increasingly rare. A hundred years ago about 50% of those born had blue eyes. Seventy years ago about 30% of those born had this trait. Currently only 1 in 6 are born with blue eyes. This change is believed to have many factors including immigration patterns, genetics and increasing intermarriage rates.

Interestingly if the melanin is removed from the eye, all eyes would appear blue in color. This is one reason why most babies are born with blue eyes. The melanin in the eye takes time to implant and to darken from UV exposure. A baby's eyes will often appear blue for several months until they settle on their permanent eye color, usually around 6 months of age. Blue eyes might be rare in adults, but for Caucasian babies it is the most common eye color.

Famous Celebrities with Blue Eyes:

Many celebrities have blue eyes. Frank Sinatra, a singer in the 1940s and 50s was known as Ol' Blue Eyes due to his piercing blue eyes. Marilyn Monroe, an actress from the same time, was also known for her beautiful blues. Cameron Diaz, famous for her roles in The Mask and Being John Malkovich, also has blue eyes. Other celebrities with blue eyes include: Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Jared Leto, Zac Efron, Robert Pattinson, Ian Somerhalder, Miranda Kerr, Eminem, Paul Walker, Avril Lavigne, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ryan Gosling, Adriana Lima, Katy Perry, Zooey Deschanel, Daniel Craig, Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicole Kidman, Megan Fox, Mischa Barton, Christina Aguilera, Claire Danes, Paul Newman and Reese Witherspoon, .

Myths and misconceptions about blue eyes:

One common misconception about blue eyes relates to the genetic prevalence of this trait. Several years ago it was believed that blue eyes were a recessive gene and would only manifest if the presence of other genes were not there. In fact, many of you may have been taught this in school. Modern research has disproven this belief. Blue eyed men tend to find women with blue eyes more attractive than those with brown eyes. Men with other eye colors do not statistically show a preference for any eye color.

Some say that people with blue eyes have a higher alcohol and pain tolerance than people with brown eyes. This eye color myth is actually true. Various studies, one of European Americans (American Journal of Medical Genetics), one of prisoners (Department of Psychology, Georgia State University) and another involving women, indicate that people with light eyes may be able to handle more alcohol/pain than people with darker eyes. Blue eyed people are also more likely to abuse alcohol than those with brown eyes. More studies need to be conducted to fully understand these findings.

Some articles suggest there are correlations between blue eyes and intelligence as it relates to tasks that must be completed slowly over time. Perhaps this is the reason that there is a blue eyed myth stating that people with blue eyes are cold and calculating.

Minorities and Blue Eyes:

Blue eyes are rare in any ethnicity, but some in some races they are practically unheard of. People of African descent for example most commonly have brown eyes. Blue eyes are very rare, but are occasionally seen. The most common way for a person of African descent to develop blue eyes would be to have Caucasian relatives on both sides of the family. A relative of both the mother and the father would need to have blue eyes. These traits can sometimes hide for generations. Another possibility would be a new mutation. It is believed that the first blue eyes appeared about 6,000-10,000 years ago as a result of a single gene mutation. It is not inconceivable that this could happen again. Ocular albinism, a form of albinism that only impacts the eyes, could also lead to blue eyes in someone without blue eyed genes, although eye problems will probably also be present.

Blue eyes are also rare in people of Asian descent. When this does occur it is likely due to Caucasian relatives on both sides, a new mutation or ocular albinism.

Makeup for Blue Eyes:

The right makeup can make blue eyes really pop. There are many stunning makeup looks appropriate for both the office and a night out at the clubs. During the day conservative colors work best. Blue eyes pair well with eye shadows in brown, rosy pink and lavender shades. Most neutral colors also work well. Evening looks for blue eyes can support bolder eye shadow colors like dark, deep blues, turquoise, greys and violets. Metallic colors like silver and gold will make your eye color really stand out. Blue mascara can also be used with blue eyes for a bold evening look.

One expert makeup tips for blue eyed ladies is to tone down your lips and cheeks so you can focus on the eyes. Blue eyes are beautiful on their own and with the right eye makeup will really shine. Make your eyes the focus by using neutral makeup everywhere else on your face and using color around the eyes to make your iris color really pop.

Does Lasik affect your eye color? The answer is no, Lasik does not affect your blue eye color. There is a however a separate Laser eye surgery that can change brown eye color to blue eye color. Brown melanin, which is present in the anterior layers of the iris, is carefully eliminated revealing the blue which is underneath.

Common Eye Diseases for Blue Eyes:

Since blue eyes have less melanin than brown eyes, they are more sensitive to the sun and more prone to develop intraocular or uveal melanoma (or melanoma of the eyes). Wearing sunglasses when you are outside may reduce this risk. The risk of macular degeneration is also more common for those with blue eyes.

Blue eyes can also be a sign of other diseases. Ocular albinism is a rare form of albinism that only affects the eyes. People with this disease often have pale blue eyes. People with this condition often have vision problems.

Bright blue eyes can be a sign of Waardenburg syndrome, a rare genetic condition associated with pigmentation changes and deafness. People with this condition often have pale or bright blue eyes, or in some cases heterochromia, eyes of different colors.

People with blue eyes are less likely to develop a condition known as vitiligo. People with vitiligo develop white patches on the skin across their bodies. These white patches are a result of a loss of melanin.

Funny Blue Eye Joke:

One day, a man had an accident at work, which resulted in him getting his eye gouged out. He was rushed to hospital, and, after awaking from an emergency operation, was told by the doctor that he'd been given a glass eye. The man looked in the mirror to see the result, and was shocked to see that, whereas his original eye colour was blue, his new glass eye was brown. The man was outraged. ''I can't walk around like this!!"

"Sir," the doctor said, "there is a severe shortage on blue eyes. We had to give you a brown one. If somehow you can get hold of a blue eye, and bring it here to the hospital, we will happily fit it for you.''

A few weeks later, the man was driving home from work late one night during a big storm. Suddenly, the car in front of him lost control and skidded off the road before finally hitting a tree. The man screeched to a halt, and ran down the embankment to see if he could help. He found the driver of the car sprawled out over the wreckage, dead as a doornail...with a blue glass eye! As it was so late at night and during such a big storm, noone was about. So the man proceeded to get a screwdriver and removed one of the deceased man's blue eyes, replacing it with his brown glass eye. He raced down to the local hospital to have the replacement blue eye fitted. A few days later, the man was driving along the same stretch of road when he saw the police examining the crash scene and towing the car wreck away. Concerned to find out if the police were on to him, the man decided to go over to try and see if the police had any leads.

"Excuse me, sir," said the policeman. "Do you know anything about this at all?"

"No, constable'', said the man."

"Well, we can't figure this out. Somehow, this bloke managed to drive 40 miles with two glass eyes!"

Blue Eyed Quotes:

And, for an instant, she stared directly into those soft blue eyes and knew, with an instinctive mammalian certainty, that the exceedingly rich were no longer even remotely human.

- William Gibson

- William Gibson Bugsy Siegel. The mobster with the beautiful blue eyes.

- Cesar Romero

- Cesar Romero Eisenhower had the clearest blue eyes. He would fix them on you. In my every interview with him, he would lock his eyes on to mine and keep them there.

- Stephen Ambrose

Blue Eye Songs:

Blue Eyes Cryin in the Rain - Willie Nelson

Behind Blue Eyes- Limp Bizkit

Pale Blue Eyes - R.E.M

Blue Eyes - Elton John

Blue Eyes Blue - Eric Clapton

Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye - The Black Crows

References and Related Links for Blue Eyes:

How do you like your Blue Eyes? What has your experience been with Blue Eyes? Post your comments below.