• Question: Why do babys eye and hair colours change as they grow older?

    Asked by emilyyelland2000 to Nick on 11 Nov 2013.
    • Photo: Nick Groves-Kirkby

      Nick Groves-Kirkby answered on 11 Nov 2013:

      A good question! I had to look this up, but I think I’ve found an answer.

      As you’ve probably noticed, many European babies start out with blue eyes and fair hair (I did myself, and I’m now very dark!). This is because they don’t have much of a molecule called melanin, which is a dark protein that gives us our skin and eye colour.

      As babies grow, they make more melanin for themselves, and this ends up in their eyes, hair and skin, which get darker over time. Some people don’t make much and end up blonde and blue-eyed. Other people make loads and end up very dark.

      Melanin is made by our bodies when we’re exposed to sunlight, and it’s the molecule that gives us tanned skin when we’ve been in the sun.

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