What Blonde Hair Can Predict About Your Eye Health – Health Digest

Because people with blonde hair typically have lighter eyes, blonde hair can be an indicator for increased risk of UV damage to the eyes as well. Optima Eye points out that people who have lighter colored eyes are at increased risk for cancers of the eye, like iris and uveal melanoma. They are also more susceptible to cataracts, a condition that occurs when the lens of your eye becomes cloudy, impairing vision (per Mayo Clinic). While cataracts can form naturally as you age, overexposure to UV rays can make their development more likely.

Prevention also points out that, through the aging process, many people will experience some loss of eye function as a result of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) — a condition that causes the loss of central vision. While advanced age and factors like smoking play a role in the progression of AMD, hair color has also proven to be a contributing factor. According to a 2014 study published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, people with blonde hair are more likely to develop early AMD than those with darker hair.