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10 Captivating Facts About the Rare Green Eye Color

They say eyes are the window to the soul. They are therefore an important part of the human body and they are the first thing one notices whenever you look at someone鈥檚 face. They of course come in different colours, shapes, and sizes, and that is the beauty of it all. With that said, green eyes are especially beautiful and unique. One cannot help but notice how uniquely they reflect on someone鈥檚 eyes. Typically, green eyes are commonly found in Irish people, and the song, 鈥淲hen Irish Eyes Are Smiling,鈥� though written metaphorically, couldn鈥檛 have best described this unique feature of Irish people. Here are some of the most captivating and fun facts about this rare eye colour.

1. Green eyes are the rarest in the world

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Indeed when you think about it, you鈥檒l realize that you probably haven鈥檛 met many people with type of eye colour. This is because green eyes are the most rare eye colour with only about 2% of people in the world having naturally green eyes. Scientifically, green eyes are a genetic mutation that is caused by low levels of melanin. Ironically though, it has been argued that green eyes have more melanin than blue eyes.

2. Green eyes don鈥檛 actually have any colour

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I know this sounds very strange, but it is true. According to science and biology, green eyes usually appear to have a beautiful shade of emerald to whoever is observing them on the outside. In actuality, however, green eyes have no actual pigment. Thus, the colour we perceive is because of the lack of melanin in the iris. This means that the less melanin in the iris, the more light reflects and scatters out making them look green. It鈥檚 the same thing when someone claims that their eye colour keeps changing colour. This is due to the fact that changes in light typically make the eyes look like they are changing colour. Kind of similar to the chameleon-like way of changing colours.

3. The Irish, Scots and northern Europeans are the most green-eyed people

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The biggest concentration of people who are green-eyed are the people from Ireland, Scotland and Northern Europe. As a matter of fact, it has been recorded and found that in Ireland and Scotland, 86% of the population have green eyes. It is therefore not really a new phenomenon in these areas as much as we are noting that they are the rare colour of eyes.

4. There are many factors that are key determinants of having green eyes

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Also scientifically speaking, research has shown that there are sixteen separate genes that contribute to having the green eye colour. It there doesn鈥檛 really matter what eye colour your parents have. If one has these determinants in their genes, then a high chance is that they鈥檒l end up having green eyes. Also, as much as the Irish, Scots and northern Europeans are people typically having green eyes, scientists have argued because of genes, green eyes can naturally occur in people of other races too. Again, it鈥檚 all about what exactly is in your DNA.

5. Liqian, China is a hot spot for green eyes

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In a village in China known as Liqian, two-thirds of the inhabitants have green eyes and blonde hair. This is of course a very rare combination and hence these locals tend to attract so many people who have come to just see what exactly this kind of combination looks like. However, in this locality, the high concentration of green-eyed, blond-haired people is linked to their ancestry. Historically, the people of Liqian have always been thought to have descended from Marciss Crassus鈥� mysterious missing army. The Roman general who went missing together with his men. Legend has it that they intermarried with the locals and this was the result of it all. Green-eyed, blond-haired individuals.

6. Babies don鈥檛 get green eyes immediately

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Did you know that when babies are born (especially those with the possibility of getting green eyes), they don鈥檛 immediately come out with green eyes? When the babies are born, they do so with either brown or blue eyes. It has been proven that for babies, it can take up to three years for them to develop their green eyes.

7. Green eyes shed light on one’s personality

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Rumours have always flown around that the colour of your eyes can have an effect on your personality. Or rather they may shed light on the kind of personality one has. However, there is no scientific data and proof that backs this argument up. It鈥檚 all hearsay and according to many legends, myths, fables and folklores, green eyes affect one’s personality and most of these personality traits include passion, intelligence, creativity jealousy and of course great leadership skills. Again, this is mostly hearsay and not scientifically proven hence it is the kind of argument you have to take in a pinch of salt.

8. Green eyes are the most sensitive to sunlight

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As noted earlier, green eyes are due to the fact that melanin is less. Hence, people with green eyes tend to be very sensitive to UV rays, typically provided by sunlight.  Green-eyed people therefore need sunglasses always because the sensitivity to sunlight can be too much for their eyes which causes strain. The more melanin one has, the better protection from the sun they have and that鈥檚 why brown-eyed and black-eyed people don鈥檛 have too much strain caused by the sun. For green eyes and blue eyes, they tend to be a lot more sensitive to sudden light increase.

9. Green eyes are the most popular in pop culture

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As much as green eyes are rare as noted earlier, in the entertainment industry, they are considered the most popular. This is mostly because of their uniqueness. Hence whenever you want your main character to stand out, what between way than to give them green eyes? Some of the popular green-eyed characters in books and movies that we know of include Rapunzel in the movie, Tangled,鈥� Batgirl, Catwoman, Scar from the movie, 鈥榣ook king,鈥� Harry Potter, Loki and many others. It goes to show how unique and mesmerizing green eyes can be.

10. Green eyes don鈥檛 affect LASIK’s candidacy

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LASIK refers to Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis which is usually considered an alternative to glasses or contact lenses. This eye surgery procedure is commonly known to correct vision problems and when it comes to having green eyes, it doesn鈥檛 affect one鈥檚 candidacy for this procedure. After all, green-eyed people are typically diagnosed with eye problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness and also astigmatism just people with any other eye colour. This is encouraging for anyone with green eyes who might be thinking they aren鈥檛 eligible for this procedure.

Indeed green eyes are captivating and their uniqueness makes the people having them stand out in a crowd. As much as they are rare and sensitive, they are absolutely beautiful.