There’s something rather alluring and perhaps just a little bit mysterious about gray eyes.
Even people blessed withthis rare eye color, though, may not know the fascinating storybehindtheireyes.
The truth about gray eyes is as riveting as gray eyes themselves.
This is because gray eyes are one of the rarest eye colors in the world.
When we say rare, we mean rare.
Gray eyes are also pretty isolated.
It’s no wonder, then, there’s so much mystery and misunderstanding around gray eyes.
There is a trick, though, to telling gray eyes and blue eyes apart.
According to theEye Doctors of Washington, eyes that are truly blue will have a pure blue color.
Gray eyes, on the other hand, show traces of other colors.
There are two layers of the iris, and between these two layers is the stroma.
This melanin then absorbs any light that hits it.
There are some risks associated with having eyes of this hue.
The increased risk of cancer is because of the lack of pigment in the eye.
And hey, at least it’s a good excuse to buy a new pair of shades!
People with gray eyes are also less likely to have vitiligo.
The autoimmune disease causes a person’s immune system to attack their pigment cells.
According toDuke Health, melanin in eyes does more than just make eyes look darker.
That pigmentation also helps protect eyes from the light.
This sensitivity to light is called photophobia and it’s not a very pleasant condition.
People with photophobia may also have trouble actually seeing or focusing.
Fortunately, the effects of photophobia are temporary.
While the condition may be uncomfortable, it doesn’t result in any permanent loss of vision.
This lack of sensitivity carries over to other areas.
One of the areas where this lessened sensitivity is useful is when it comes to pain.
This holds true even when the pain is overwhelming.
According toSuperstitions: 10,000 You Really Need, it’s women with blue eyes who are faithful.
Gray-eyed woman are instead supposedly greedy.
The ancient Greeks associated gray eyes with wisdom
One of the most powerful ofthe ancient Greek godswasAthena.
Athena was the daughter of Zeus, the king of the gods, and the Titan Metis.
The goddess is probably best remembered, though, as the goddess of wisdom.
And, oh yeah, she just so happened to have gray eyes.
Who knew that the mystical power of gray eyes had such a long and magical history?
Modern scientists, however, have proven that they may have been on to something.
The slower reaction times of people with light eyes is attributed to melanin.
In 1918, theSausalito Newscame out stating that gray-eyed people are better marksmen.
The theory can also be found in the literature of the time.
Brown eyes are the scariest to dream about as they supposedly represent “deceit and perfidy.”
Blue eyes reportedly indicate that the dreamer is weak when it comes to seeing things through.
Gray eyes allegedly “[denote] a love of flattery for the owner.”
Like we said, though, it’s not an exact science.
Dream interpretation can get pretty confusing especially if you’reone of the people who only dreams in black and white.
In all likelihood, dreaming of someone with gray eyes is nothing more than just a dream.
It’s not uncommon for a baby’s eye color to change as they get older.
This is because eye color depends onmelanin, which is secreted by cells called melanocytes.
It turns out that people with gray eyes have a distinct advantage when it comes to competitions.
Like a lot of traits, it comes down to evolution.
Can gray eyes actually change color?
Gray eyes can even appear to change color with a person’s mood, thanks to pupil dilation.
It’s a pretty cool trait of gray eyes, although the eyes neveractuallychange color.
Many more factors go into determining what color eyes a baby will have than scientists previously thought.
Since gray eyes contain different hues, you have a wide range of options to choose from.
Wearing black to contrast your gray eyes and really make them stand out (viaOur Everyday Life).
