Why surgeons wear green or blue

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There some professions that we take for granted, so much that we actually don’t even think about why these professionals wear certain clothes. Have you ever wondered why surgeons wear green or blue? Probably not. They don’t wear it because they like the color so much. There is a very practical reason for it.

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​​Long hours and blood

​​What am I saying? There are several practical reasons. Until 1914, surgeons always wore white scrubs. The downside of white is that it’s not easy for the eyes. Light reflects off the white fabric and it is simply too bright to look at for a long time. Because surgeons often work long hours, this is far from practical.

​​​​At the beginning of the 20th century, an influential surgeon read that green has a soothing effect on the eyes. He started wearing green for this specific reason. One can look at it for a long time and the light is not reflecting off it during surgeries. Furthermore, green and blue are exactly opposite of red on the color wheel. This makes it easy for the eyes to recognize blood. If you would be wearing pink during a surgery, it would be much harder to see blood after several hours in the operating room. Green and blue won’t create this issue. Clever thinking, right?