This is because blue eyes, especially light blue eyes, have less pigment in the iris, making them more translucent. This can cause blue-eyed people to be more susceptible to glare and sunlight, leading to light sensitivity. Blue eyes may also water more in bright light as they are more sensitive.
Lighter colored eyes like blue, hazel and green have less of a pigment called 'melanin' than brown eyes do. Melanin helps protect the retina from UV damage and blue light, putting those with blue eyes at a higher risk of developing UV-related eye damage.
Are blue eyes more sensitive to the sun? The short answer to the question is yes. Light-colored eyes, including blue, green, and gray, are more reactive to the sun or bright light. Professionals refer to this as photophobia.
Watery Eyes: One of the most common symptoms of sun damage in the eyes is watery or teary eyes. Typically, if your eye has been damaged by the sun, it will increase its tear production to heal the eye. If this is occurring, please refrain from wearing eye makeup or contact lenses to reduce irritation.
If you have blue or green eyes, you need to wear a pair of sunglasses every time you go out on a bright day. That's because light-colored eyes are associated with a higher risk for sun damage and certain eye diseases, such as cataracts, macular degeneration, photokeratitis or “eye sunburn,” and certain cancers.
Disadvantages of Blue Eyes
Typically, people with blue eyes are likely to be more sensitive to light. With less pigment in the layers of the iris, they may be unable to block out the effects of bright fluorescent lights or sunlight. This condition of light sensitivity is called photophobia.
While lighter-colored eyes may be more sensitive to sunlight, they are not necessarily more sensitive to vision. In fact, blue eyes have better visual acuity than brown eyes. This means that blue-eyed people can see small details more clearly.
Photophobia is a symptom that describes light sensitivity. If you notice your eyes are now more sensitive to light, talk to your healthcare provider. Photophobia can be a symptom of a medical condition like migraines, certain eye conditions, or a mental health condition.
Causes. Photophobia is linked to the connection between cells in your eyes that detect light and a nerve that goes to your head. Migraines are the most common cause of light sensitivity. Up to 80% of people who get them have photophobia along with their headaches.
While blue eyes are more sensitive to light during the day, people with blue eyes tend to see better at night – unless there are bright lights. In that case, the lack of melanin makes them as sensitive to light at night as they are during the day.
How Rare Are Blue Eyes? About 27% of the United States population has blue eyes, according to a 2014 poll by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Blue eyes may not be the rarest eye color, but they aren't the most common one, either.
The 1-800-Contacts survey did align with a lot of that research, though: When asked about what personality traits they associated with each eye color, blue eyes were considered "sexy" and associated with a love for "trying new things" while brown eyes were considered "trustworthy" and "kind."
Light-eyed people (with blue or green eyes) have slightly better night vision because they have less pigment in the iris, which which leaves the iris more translucent and lets more light into the eye.
Blue Eyes are More Sensitive to Light
Melanin in the iris of the eye appears to help protect the back of the eye from damage caused by UV radiation and high-energy visible “blue” light from sunlight and artificial sources of these rays.
Lighter-colored eyes have less pigment to protect against sun damage and UV radiation compared to darker-colored eyes. This means that people with green, hazel, or blue eyes are more sensitive to light and more susceptible to UV damage.
If you do not get enough of some nutrients, your skin can become sensitive to sunlight. Pellagra, for example, is caused by a niacin deficiency and leads to photosensitivity. Other nutrients, particularly antioxidants and flavonoids, may help protect skin against sun damage in healthy people.
Photophobia, or light sensitivity, is eye discomfort caused by light. Sources such as sunlight, fluorescent light and incandescent light all can cause discomfort, creating a need to squint or close your eyes. Headaches also may accompany light sensitivity.
Mild sun allergy may clear up without treatment. Severe rashes may be treated with steroid creams or pills. If you have severe sun allergy, you may need to take preventive steps. For example, wear clothing that shields you from the sun.
The prognosis for people with a sun allergy varies widely. Some people appear to outgrow the condition. But many can experience symptoms for 10 to 15 years or longer. An episode of sun allergy often resolves a few hours to days after you get out of the sun.
If your light sensitivity is due to digital eye strain, then using blue light glasses combined with reducing your exposure to screens and fluorescent lights is the best solution.
We found that green is the most popular lens colour, with brown coming in a close second, despite it being one of the most common eye colours. Although blue and hazel are seen as the most attractive eye colours for men and women they are surprisingly the least popular.
Brown eyes may have ranked as the least attractive, but they were 1.6 times more likely than blue eyes to be described as trustworthy.
"Many studies have been performed and they all concluded the same thing - a majority of all people consider those with blue eyes to be slightly more attractive on average than people with brown or hazel eyes."