Eyes are the organs of vision and therefore occupy a very prominent role in the functioning of the body. Recently, many methods have emerged to change eye color and some of them change the eye color permanently. There are many reasons for desiring a change in the eye color and there are also several methods for the same. One of the most common reasons for eye color change is to look better during parties and other such events. The eye color also changes due to other factors such as age and exposure to sunlight. There are artificial methods to change one's eye color such as surgeries and also colored contact lenses.

Many people also try to change their iris color. The iris is a pigmented layer that has colors. In spite of this layer containing many pigments, its color depends on melanin. The melanin found in the iris is slightly different from the melanin pigments found in the hair and skin. The iris color is described as eye color as the layer before the iris (the cornea) is transparent and the outer sclera is out of consideration as it is white and opaque. So changing eye color is actually only changing the iris color.

It is commonly mistaken that the melanin wholly influences the eye color or the iris color. This is totally wrong as this color cannot extend more than brown or black color and the other iris colors such as blue would become practically impossible. Melanin lies behind the iris and is yellowish brown to some shades of dark brown in color. Besides the regular brown or black iris, other colors are due to absorption as well as reflection from the stromal components. Blue is also a possible eye color. People with blue eyes can pass this to their offspring.

Sometimes certain eye colors appear very attractive. In such cases contact lenses can be used to conceal the natural eye color. This is done just for fun or excitement. Such changes are not necessary and are never recommended by any doctor. As with the development of technology and introduction of various machines, iris patterns can be analyzed automatically. This is one of the reasons that few of them have opted to colored contact lens or deliberately injure the iris with lasers. This is done to intentionally avert personal identification. However, there is no genetic determination for any such complex characteristics, as the significance is higher to iris color.

A bizarre color in both eyes is known as hererochromia. This is a case where one iris is unique from the other. Though it is rare in humans, it is an indication of optical disease such as chronic iris. This may transpire as a normal variation. Patches of varied colors in one iris is hardly found. Iris patterns with variations are commonly found in veterinary profession owing to interbreeding. This hererochromia is found among some horses. They may have brown, white as well as blue in the same eye, but without any eye disease.