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I was just reading some threads about professional appearance and body mods. Mostly they were saying that body mods is an issue and you don't want to scare the patient. I was just wondering if you guys thought two different colored eyes would be a reason not to hire me. I know my eyes scare older people and they think it's weird. Do you guys think I will actually have in issue in health care due to them?
I actually had a fellow student in LPN school who had two different colored eyes..one was a bright beautiful shade of blue, the other was an amber color brown/golden color. Pretty awesome! She had no problem getting a job and has made comment that most of her patients comment on how beautiful her eyes are.
And my dog has a beautiful blue eye and one chocolate brown one. While not unique for certain breeds, my dog is a boxer who is white (he's NOT albino) and when they are white, they usually have two blue eyes or two brown, sort of rare to see one with a blue and brown.
I don't think you'll have any issues with your eyes. Unless of course you get those creepy contacts that make human eyes appear reptile-like (elongated) like or ghoolish..
I have a red birthmark on my forehead that gets redder when I'm hot or tired. It's subtle enough that people don't always realize its a birthmark but used to ask me with concern if I got hit in the head. That made junior high kinda interesting-not! On top of that, I have developed terrible allergies to all makeup. Lucky me! So I worried that I would be considered unprofessional for going without it on the job. If I wear makeup my eyes swell and I can't see. My sinuses back up then the ear problems start and on it goes down hill.
My solution has been to wear reading glasses that are stylish and colored so my face has 'color' and you can't really tell I'm not wearing eye make up. They make some fashion glasses with really low strengths (mild). Maybe you can get some that area just frames with glass as well.
I throw this out there in case you have sensitive eyes that don't tolerate contacts like mine!
I think like others it makes for a good conversation piece when they bring up your eye color. Hey, I always look pregnant after having had the babies, and people still ask me if I'm pregnant (at 47). Now I thank them for thinking I'm still young enough to have kids and they end up saying, "You're welcome!" without really realizing that just insulted my big belly and weight.
Use what you have to underscore your humanity and help your patients relate to you.
Thanks everyone for the comments and feedback. I actually don't have my license yet. However, on my ID it states that I have DIC for an eye color. On my cousins' they said he has hazel (we have same exact eyes), so who knows what they'll put on my license. I have realized that it has turned into a good icebreaker and how many questions I will receive. One time I was taking care of a resident and my classmate told me that this particular resident wanted to speak with me. The resident who wanted to speak with me happened to be the one who was nervous about me caring for her due to funny eyes. The resident wanted me to prove to her visitor that there is a girl waking around the SNF with two different colored eyes. I couldn't help but laugh when she called me in there. For the post that suggested glasses, I already have to wear reading glasses and my blue eye sticks out so much. I'm light skinned and the blue eye is extremely bright even with the glasses.
I've had my eye colour listed as green, brown or hazel--rarely had the same colour on two IDs. Usually I ask for green now (I mean 1.5 of my eyes ARE green) but when I was younger, they often wouldn't put that. Typically they'd try to split the difference by putting "hazel". My brother actually has hazel eyes-they are a whiskey colour, almost approaching orange.
As for glasses, not really a recommendation, just an observation. My vision is very very bad so when I wear my glasses my eyes look very small and dark and the change in colour becomes less noticable. When people do notice it, they usually think the eyes are different coloured.
merlee
1,246 Posts
I've known a couple of nurses with different colored eyes, and never heard any issues. I think most people really don't care, or may be mildly curious.
I went to school with a woman with the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen, and didn't know 'til we were senior that she had blue contacts on top of her blue eyes. She lost one, and had a plain one on for a few days, making her eyes 2 different colors.
No worry, really.
Best wishes!