The colour of the iris is provided by a pigment called melanin, which is also present in the body's hair and skin, although this is of a slightly different type. The melanin in the iris is yellow-brown to dark brown in colour, and the amount of melanin in a person's irises will determine their eye colour - for instance, a person with a high level of melanin will have brown eyes, while someone with less melanin in their irises will have blue eyes. People whose skin and hair are dark tend to have more melanin and darker eyes than people whose skin and hair are fair.