Why Do David Bowie's Eyes Appear To Be Different?

So, why were David Bowie's eyes apparently two different colours?

Complete heterochromia is a fairly rare condition (in humans) whereby each iris is a distinctly different colour, such as having one blue iris and the other brown.

But this isn't why Bowie's eyes looked different.

Instead, the unusual appearance of Bowie's eyes was due to a condition called anisocoria. Anisocoria is a condition characterised by an unequal size in a person's pupils. In Bowie's case, his left pupil was permanently dilated.

This can create the illusion of having different-coloured eyes because the fixed pupil does not respond to changes in light, while the right pupil does. So Bowie's left eye often appeared to be quite dark, due to the blackness of his dilated pupil, when compared to the blue of his right iris.

Anecdotally, the cause of Bowie's anisocoria was attributed to the fallout from a lusty scrap in the spring of 1962. Bowie had come to blows with a friend, George Underwood, over a girl they were both hoping to date.

Both were just 15 at the time and their friendship seemingly remained intact. The two performed together in various bands before Underwood turned from music to painting and graphics. But Bowie's left eye remained seriously damaged.

An impulsive punch had accidentally scratched the eyeball, resulting in paralysis of the muscles that contract the iris. From that day, Bowie's left pupil remained in a fixed open position.

Bowie ended up thanking his friend for creating the unique look that became part of his legacy.

Source- NZ Herald