What Colors Are Available for Keratopigmentation (Eye Color Change)?
Keratopigmentation offers a wide range of eye color options, including different shades of green, blue, grey, hazel, brown and mixed natural tones. However, choosing the right color is not simply a matter of selecting a shade from a color chart.
At Kaşkaloğlu Eye Hospital, our goal is to create an eye color that looks natural at normal social distance and is appropriate for the patient’s facial features, skin tone, original eye color and personal expectations.
Which Pigments Do We Use?
At Kaşkaloğlu Eye Hospital, we use ophthalmic pigments manufactured by BIOTIC Phocea in France, a company specializing in medical and aesthetic pigments for keratopigmentation.
Their BIOCHROMAEYES® pigments have been specifically developed for use within the cornea. The medical BIOCHROMAEYES® range is described by the manufacturer as a CE-marked Class IIb medical device for keratopigmentation. BIOTIC Phocea introduced BIOCHROMAEYES® for therapeutic corneal use in 2011 and subsequently introduced ophthalmic pigments for aesthetic eye color change in 2015.
This is important because keratopigmentation pigments are placed within the corneal tissue. We therefore believe that pigments specifically developed for ophthalmic use, with appropriate manufacturing standards, traceability and quality control, should be used rather than conventional cosmetic tattoo inks.
BIOCHROMAEYES® Color Options
BIOTIC Phocea offers an extensive palette of colors designed to reproduce tones found in natural-looking irises. Depending on the desired result, available shades include variations of:
Green: Sage Green, Olive, Jade, Emerald Green and Pistachio
Blue: French Blue, Ocean, Lagoon and Turquoise
Grey: Magical Grey and Anthracite
Hazel & Golden tones: Honey, Honey Gold and Sand
Brown: Chestnut, Chocolate and Ebony Brown
Darker shades: Charcoal and other deep brown/black tones.
The final appearance is not determined by the pigment name alone. The patient’s original iris color, pigment density, corneal characteristics, lighting conditions and surgical design all influence how the new eye color will appear.
Can Different Pigments Be Combined?
Yes. In selected cases, different shades can be used or combined to achieve a more individualized result.
A natural iris is not usually a single flat color. It contains variations in tone, depth and contrast. For this reason, our objective is not simply to create a uniformly blue, green or grey eye, but to achieve an appearance that is harmonious with the patient’s face.
The surgeon may also modify the intensity of the pigmentation and the appearance of the peripheral limbal ring according to the desired result.
Which Eye Color Looks Most Natural?
There is no single color that looks best on everyone.
For some patients, a subtle green or hazel provides the most natural transformation. Others may prefer grey, blue or mixed green-grey tones.
Very light colors can create a more dramatic transformation, particularly in patients with naturally dark brown eyes. However, a dramatic change is not necessarily the most natural-looking change.
This is why we discuss both the patient’s preferred color and the realistic appearance that can be achieved before surgery.
Will My Result Look Exactly Like a Photograph or Color Chart?
Not necessarily.
Color charts and before-and-after photographs are useful for communicating preferences, but they should be regarded as a guide rather than a guarantee of the exact postoperative shade.
The same pigment may appear slightly different between patients because of differences in the original eye color, cornea, pigmentation density and ambient lighting.
Our priority is therefore to achieve an attractive and natural-looking result rather than attempting to reproduce an exact digital color.
Can the Color Be Adjusted Later?
Keratopigmentation should be considered a long-lasting and essentially permanent procedure. Patients should therefore choose their desired appearance carefully.
In selected cases, the intensity or appearance may be modified with an additional procedure. However, patients should not undergo keratopigmentation with the expectation that the original eye appearance can always be completely restored.
This is one of the reasons why careful color selection and realistic expectations before surgery are so important.
Why Pigment Quality Matters
Keratopigmentation is different from conventional cosmetic tattooing. The pigment is introduced into a precisely created channel within the corneal tissue.
For this reason, we consider the quality, biocompatibility, sterility, traceability and ophthalmic purpose of the pigment to be important components of the procedure.
How Do We Choose Your Eye Color?
Before keratopigmentation, we discuss:
- Your natural eye color
- Your preferred color and intensity
- Skin tone and facial characteristics
- Whether you prefer a subtle or more noticeable change
- The desired limbal ring appearance
- Your expectations regarding how the eyes should look in daylight, indoor lighting and photographs
The final color and surgical design are selected individually rather than using exactly the same pattern for every patient.
The Most Important Point
When considering permanent eye color change, the question should not only be:
“Which color do I like?”
It should also be:
“Which color will look natural on me, and which pigment is being placed in my cornea?”
At Kaşkaloğlu Eye Hospital, our approach is to combine careful patient selection, individualized color planning, femtosecond laser-assisted keratopigmentation and ophthalmic pigments specifically developed for this purpose.
Son Güncelleme 20 September 2026 Saat 13:44 pm
