You’ve probably seen the photos. One eye is a piercing, icy blue, while the other is a deep, honeyed amber. It’s striking. It’s magnetic. But if you’re asking what color eyes do people with heterochromia have, the answer isn't just a simple list of shades. It’s a complex interaction of genetics, protein concentrations, and sometimes, luck.
Heterochromia isn't a "color" itself. It’s a condition of the iris.
Most people think it’s just about having two different colored eyes—like David Bowie, although ironically, he didn't even have it. His was a permanently dilated pupil called anisocoria. Real heterochromia is all about melanin. That’s the same pigment that decides if your skin freckles or if you tan. In the eyes, melanin is produced by cells called melanocytes. When these cells aren't distributed evenly or don't produce the same amount of pigment in both eyes, you get that famous "mismatched" look.
The Spectrum of Iris Variation
So, let's get into the specifics. People with heterochromia can have almost any combination of colors imaginable within the human range. We’re talking blue, green, brown, hazel, and grey.
In the most common form, known as complete heterochromia, one eye is a totally different color than the other. You might see a brown eye paired with a blue one. This is the "classic" look people associate with the term. It’s particularly famous in Siberian Huskies, but in humans, it's actually quite rare, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States.
Then there is sectoral heterochromia. This one is subtle. It’s kinda like a splash of paint. You might have a green eye, but a distinct "slice" or wedge of that eye is brown. It doesn't blend. It’s a sharp contrast.
Finally, we have central heterochromia. This is the one most people actually have without realizing it. Have you ever looked in the mirror and noticed a gold ring around your pupil that fades into a blue or green outer rim? That’s it. It’s often mistaken for "hazel" eyes, but true hazel eyes are a mix of colors throughout the iris, whereas central heterochromia features two distinct, separate rings of color.
👉 See also: What Really Happened When a Mom Gives Son Viagra: The Real Story and Medical Risks
Why the Colors Vary So Much
It all comes down to the concentration of eumelanin. If you have a lot of it, your eyes are brown. If you have very little, they appear blue because of the way light scatters in the iris—a phenomenon called Tyndall scattering.
What color eyes do people with heterochromia have? They have whatever color their DNA dictated for each specific patch of tissue.
In cases of congenital heterochromia (present from birth), this is usually just a genetic quirk. It’s often autosomal dominant, meaning if one parent has it, there’s a chance the child will too. However, it can also be a sign of an underlying condition. For example, Waardenburg syndrome can cause hearing loss and changes in hair and skin pigmentation alongside those mismatched eyes.
Then there’s Horner’s syndrome. This is a bit more serious. It involves a disruption in the nerve pathway from the brain to the face and eye. If a baby is born with one eye lighter than the other, doctors often check for this because the lack of sympathetic stimulation prevents the melanocytes from maturing properly in one eye. The result? One eye stays blue while the other turns its intended brown or green.
Real Examples and Famous Faces
Let’s look at some real-world examples because seeing is believing.
- Max Scherzer: The MLB pitcher is perhaps the most famous modern example of complete heterochromia. One eye is blue, and the other is brown. He’s leaned into it, too—even his bobbleheads feature the two different colors.
- Alice Eve: The actress has one blue eye and one green eye. It’s subtle enough that you might miss it on screen, but in close-up photography, the difference is undeniable.
- Kate Bosworth: She has sectoral heterochromia. Her right eye is blue, but the bottom half is noticeably brown. It’s a perfect example of how the pigment doesn't always "fill" the whole iris.
Interestingly, some people "get" heterochromia later in life. This is acquired heterochromia. It’s not genetic. It’s usually the result of an injury or a medical condition.
✨ Don't miss: Understanding BD Veritor Covid Test Results: What the Lines Actually Mean
If you get hit in the eye (trauma), it can cause bleeding or iron deposits that change the iris color. Even more fascinating (and a bit scary) is Fuchs' heterochromic iridocyclitis. It’s a chronic inflammation that causes the pigment in one eye to slowly wash away, making it look lighter than the other over time. Even certain glaucoma medications—specifically prostaglandin analogues like latanoprost—can cause the eyelashes to grow longer but also darken the iris color.
The Myth of "Red" or "Violet" Heterochromia
You’ll sometimes see "violet" eyes mentioned, especially in discussions about Elizabeth Taylor. She didn't have heterochromia. She just had a very specific amount of melanin that, when hit by the right light, appeared violet. True red or violet eyes only occur in cases of severe albinism where the lack of pigment allows the blood vessels at the back of the eye to show through. It is extremely rare for this to manifest as heterochromia.
What about people who think their eyes "change color"?
Usually, they don't. Not really. The iris doesn't change its pigment levels based on your mood. What does change is the size of your pupil. When your pupil dilates or contracts, the pigment in the iris bunches up or spreads out. This, combined with the colors of your clothing and the ambient lighting, can make eyes look more green or more grey than usual.
Is It a Superpower or a Problem?
Most of the time, it’s just a "beauty mark" on the eye.
If you’ve had different colored eyes since you were a toddler, your doctor likely isn't worried. You just have a unique look. However, if you wake up one morning and notice your left eye is turning brown while your right stays blue, that is a medical emergency. It could be a sign of a tumor (like ocular melanoma), inflammation, or a neurological issue.
🔗 Read more: Thinking of a bleaching kit for anus? What you actually need to know before buying
The complexity of what color eyes do people with heterochromia have lies in the fact that it’s a living map of your biological history. It shows where your cells worked perfectly and where they took a slightly different path.
Understanding the Genetics
Genetics is never as simple as we were taught in high school. We used to think brown was dominant and blue was recessive. Period. But we now know that at least 16 different genes play a role in eye color. The two most important are OCA2 and HERC2.
In people with heterochromia, these genes might be expressed differently in each eye. This can happen through chimerism, where two zygotes fuse in the womb, or mosaicism, where a mutation occurs in only some cells during early development. Imagine your body is a house being painted. Most of the time, the painter uses the same bucket for every room. But in mosaicism, the painter accidentally grabs a slightly different shade for the hallway.
Actionable Steps for Those With Heterochromia
If you or your child has mismatched eyes, here is the professional protocol to follow:
- Get a baseline exam: Even if it looks "cool," an ophthalmologist should perform a dilated eye exam. They need to check for signs of Waardenburg syndrome or Horner’s syndrome, especially in infants.
- Monitor for changes: If you have acquired heterochromia, keep a photographic log. Any darkening or lightening of a single eye in adulthood needs to be evaluated for uveitis or iris tumors.
- Check your medications: If you are using lash growth serums or glaucoma drops, read the fine print. These are known to permanently darken iris pigment in some users.
- Embrace the uniqueness: Once a medical cause is ruled out, there is nothing to "fix." Heterochromia is a benign variation that is highly prized in the fashion and acting industries for its distinctiveness.
- Be wary of "color-changing" drops: Avoid unregulated internet products claiming to "cure" heterochromia or change your eye color. These can cause permanent scarring and blindness.
The world of eye color is vibrant and messy. Whether it's a tiny brown speck in a blue sea or two completely different colored orbs, heterochromia is a testament to the fact that biology doesn't always follow the rules—and honestly, it's a lot more interesting because of it.