Why is surgical clothing blue or green? The science of color against eye strain

I. The Secret of Color in the Operating Room

It's an iconic image: the surgeon, clad in a blue or green scrub set. This color choice isn't simply an aesthetic preference or an arbitrary tradition. The question many ask is: if doctors traditionally wore white, why is surgical attire blue or green?

The answer lies in a fascinating intersection of history, psychology, and the science of human vision. These colors were adopted to address a critical issue: eye strain among medical staff, thereby ensuring greater concentration and precision during surgeries.

II. Historical Journey: From Blinding White to Functional Blue

Originally, in the early 20th century, doctors' uniforms and gowns were white, symbolizing purity and hygiene. However, as operating rooms were equipped with brighter lights for more complex procedures, white revealed two serious drawbacks:

Glare: Pure white in a bright light environment reflected too much, creating a blinding glare that bothered the staff.

Eye Strain: The combination of bright white with the deep red of the blood and organs created extreme contrast. This quickly fatigued the surgeon's eyes.

Around 1914, an influential doctor in the United States changed his scrubs to shades of green. The choice caught on, and today blue and green are the global standard for their ability to reduce eye strain.

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III. Visual Science: The Color That Allows You to See Better

The main reason for using blue or green lies in how the human eye processes complementary colors:

The Red Glare Problem: During prolonged surgery, the surgeon's gaze is intensely focused on the red of the blood and internal tissue. When the eye momentarily shifts to a white surface (such as an assistant's gown), the retina experiences a cyan or blue-green "afterimage." This phenomenon temporarily distorts perception.

The Complementarity Effect: Blue and green are located opposite red on the visible spectrum. When looking at a blue or green uniform, the eye receives a signal that neutralizes and relaxes the vision that was saturated with red.

In summary, these complementary colors act as a "reset button" for the physician's visual system, maintaining the eye's sensitivity to the color red (which helps to distinguish the nuances of anatomy) and reducing distractions caused by afterimages.

IV. Additional Psychological and Hygiene Factors

In addition to the direct visual benefits, the color blue offers advantages in the work environment:

Calm and Concentration: Psychologically, blue is associated with calmness, seriousness, and stability. This helps maintain a calm environment in the operating room, which is essential for concentration.

Distraction-Free Hygiene: While not the primary purpose, blue or green tones conceal fluid stains better than white. This prevents the team from being distracted or visually uncomfortable by stains that might appear more dramatic against a light background.

V. Modern Trends: Blue Evolves

Although functionality remains paramount, aesthetics and organization have introduced variations on the base color:

Diversity of Tones: Today, institutions use everything from light blue (sky blue) and royal blue to navy blue and graphite gray (which acts as an effective neutral).

Role Differentiation: Many clinics and hospitals use color coding to distinguish roles or departments (e.g., blue for surgeons, green for technicians, gray for nursing), improving team organization.

Modernizing surgical clothing also means that, regardless of the shade of blue or green, the garment must integrate technologies such as fluid resistance for safety and 4-way stretch for freedom of movement, allowing the surgeon to fully concentrate on the task.

VI. Professional Logic Behind the Choice of Color

Choosing blue or green for surgical clothing is one of the smartest decisions in medicine, based on visual and ergonomic logic.

This color is not merely an aesthetic choice, but a functional element that protects the professional's vision. By combining this functional color with an ergonomic (Slim-Fit) design and high-performance fabrics, the modern uniform becomes an essential tool that ensures the safety, precision, and concentration of the medical team.