To think blue eyes are both a blessing and a curse

[Lewishamsally]

Blessing: Nations and western worlds favourite eye colour.

Curse: I forgot my sunglasses on a day out with dc and I could barely see in the sun. (Probably added about a million wrinkles around the eye ).

Does eye colour affect how well you can see in the sun then? I have dark eyes and still struggle, my eyes are very sensitive to bright light.

Surely that's nothing to do with eye colour? It's to do with how the muscles contract/pupils dilate, no?

Ive never heard either of those things before. There is a really clever invention, sunglasses.

I've never considered it to be either a blessing or a curse, tbh. Never really thought of it.

I don't think eye colour makes any difference to how well you see in the sun.

The things you read on mumsnet , never given this any thought at all.

I think its because blue eyes take in more light than darker colours. Same with skin pale skin burns quicker/easier.

I don't think it is anything to do with eyecolour.

My mother has blue eyes, mine are brown. Neither of us are able to stare directly into the sun, nor do we walk around blinded like moles on a sunny day - we both seem pretty much the same in the eye department.

As a brown eyed person who squints in the sun, all I can say is huh? What on earth are you on about op? Is this a wind up?

Oh I've never really considered it. Who says it's nations favourite eye colour? Ds and I have blue eyes but we get LOADS of comments on dd's eyes which are dark brown / black

Whaaaaaaaat?

The colour of your eyes has no effect on how much sun your eyes "take in"

everybody's pupils are black....The colour round the edge is just "decoration" if you like

Ah how sweet and gorgeous. I love a good stereotype. Are you connected with Disney in any way?

"It is well known that people with lighter eyes tend to be more sensitive to light, a result of having less pigment in the iris to protect them from sunlight"

I don't think eye colour affects how well you tolerate the sun in your eyes?

Optician told me that light coloured eyes are more easily damaged by sunlight. I swear. This was a Boots optometrist, about a month ago.

Have I been lied to?

Blue eyes are scientificly more light sensitive, but not noticeably. Lower pigment and all that.

It's the pupil that allows the light in. Is like a camera aperture. The colour of the iris is irrelevant.

So where does 'blue' come into it then?

Who is the author of that latest statement, Lewis?

The light comes through the pupil, not the iris. The iris contains muscles which contract to let light in via the pupil. It doesn't matter what colour they are.

Oh!

Light coloured eyes are more sensitive to sunlight than darker coloured eyes.

In cats, there are even more disadvantages. Blue eyes in white cats are associated with deafness. I have a Siamese mix with blue eyes. Siamese blue eyes are from a different gene than the blue eyes associated with deafness. Cats with Siamese blue eyes don't have as good night vision as cats with other eye colours, instead.

i knew someone from lewisham called Sally. Can't see her as a mnetter though :)

i100.independent.co.uk/article/its-official-blue-is-the-most-attractive-eye-colour--ey0BO3TDVe