# How come my eyes keep changing colors? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 25, 2004, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-my-eyes-keep-changing-colors/281552 "2004-12-25T02:25:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![flamingbananas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f4b2a3/32.png) [@flamingbananas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flamingbananas)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-my-eyes-keep-changing-colors/281552/21 "2004-12-25T19:19:08Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Aaaahhh…that means the Alien Chest-Burster is all grown up, & ready to meet the world. > > Smile! Say “CheeeeEEEEEEEEARRRGGGH!!” > 😛😃 Am I the only one that is completely and utterly confused by this? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-my-eyes-keep-changing-colors/281552/22 "2004-12-25T19:22:01Z")
> [@flamingbananas](#): > > Am I the only one that is completely and utterly confused by this? You never saw _Alien_? ---
**Author:** ![KP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a9adbd/32.png) [@KP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KP)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-my-eyes-keep-changing-colors/281552/23 "2004-12-25T19:32:38Z")
Though I have not done any formal research on the subject, my infomal study of the eyes of girlfriends and ex-girlfriends suggests that, in some people especially with hazel of mixed brown color eyes, the expansion and contraction of the iris may alter the apparent density and orientation of pigment granules. This may cause an apparent color change of several shades (depending on lighting) and certainly accentuates the differences produced by subtle changes in lighting. Pupil dilation is affected by mood, as well as ambient lighting, so it may vary from minute to minute under lighting conditions that do not appear to change grossly. The same amount of pigment may be compressed to one-fifth to one-tenth the area or more in normal dilation vs normal miosis (constriction). In its original container, a drop of yellow food coloring or inkjet ink appears to be red or orange or brown, but when it adsorbs into the surface of food or a piece of paper, it is a vivid yellow. Iridescence can also produce distinct changes in percieved color according to orientation, but I don’t recall how structured (ordered) iris pigment granules are. – K “When I look into your eyes, I see wonders beyond my ken” P ---
**Author:** ![Crescent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Crescent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crescent)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-my-eyes-keep-changing-colors/281552/24 "2004-12-25T19:54:06Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > **flamingbananas** , are you an adult or a teenager? I’ve known several people (and am one) whose eye colors change, and unlike common wisdom, it’s not based solely on eye makeup and what you wear - your emotional state, amount of sleep you got the night before, and wellness/illness all cause changes too. My eyes go from blue to gray to green and even blue-green, and I’ve noticed all these colors while wearing the same clothes on different days. I asked about age because although I don’t know about people with hazel eyes, every person I’ve known who has “usually blue” eyes didn’t become aware of the fact that their eye color isn’t static until they were in their early to mid teens. I was 19 when my always blue blue eyes started changing color. My license may say they’re blue, but they bluish, greenish, grayish and sometimes really blue green. Everyone else in my family has either pale blue or sapphire blue eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Qwertyasdfg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecc23a/32.png) [@Qwertyasdfg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertyasdfg)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-my-eyes-keep-changing-colors/281552/25 "2004-12-25T20:05:35Z")
I have the same thing as the OP. I think its just that in different lightings, and when I’m wearing different clothing, my eyes look different, but I’m pretty certain the actually pigment in my eyes isn’t changing so drastically. ---
**Author:** ![flamingbananas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f4b2a3/32.png) [@flamingbananas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flamingbananas)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-my-eyes-keep-changing-colors/281552/26 "2004-12-25T20:11:17Z")
> [@Qwertyasdfg](#): > > I have the same thing as the OP. I think its just that in different lightings, and when I’m wearing different clothing, my eyes look different, but I’m pretty certain the actually pigment in my eyes isn’t changing so drastically. Yes but when I checked it I was in the same room with the exact same lighting and I was in the same clothes, and they still changed colors! Silly eyes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-come-my-eyes-keep-changing-colors/281552.md?page=1)