Why Do You Have Dark Circles Under Your Eyes? A 101 Guide 

Mar 17, 2024 By Madison Evans

Depending on skin tone, dark circles beneath the eyes can be purple, blue, dark brown, or black. These circles are rarely a problem but maybe cosmetically undesirable. Dark circles around the eyes may signal a need for diet or sleep modifications. Lets see some major causes of it.

Causes of Dark Circles

Aging

Dark circles beneath the eyes are often caused by aging. Also, aging causes the skin to sag and thin. Fat and collagen that maintain skin suppleness may diminish with age. This makes the black blood vessels under your skin more visible, darkening the region behind your eyes.

Irregular Sleep

Extreme sleep deprivation and excessive sleep can affect the look of your skin, especially around the eyes. Oversleeping can make blood vessels and dark tissues more apparent, resulting in dull, pale skin. Visibility might highlight dark circles beneath the eyes.

Lack of sleep can cause fluid collection beneath the eyes, making them depression sunken eyes. Sleep deprivation can also cause dark circles, or "puffy eyelid shadows," when the skin under the eyes thins and becomes transparent.

Allergies

Allergic reactions cause dark circles. For protection, the body produces histamines during an allergic response. Eyes might become itchy, red, and puffy from these histamines. Continuously rubbing or scratching the irritating skin around the eyes might worsen inflammation, edema, and tiny blood vessel bursts. This causes dark circles beneath the eyes due to post-inflammatory pigmentation.

Moreover, dry eyes can cause discomfort and rubbing, which increases inflammation and darkens the sensitive skin around the anemic under-eye.

Oscular Hypotensive Medicines

Latanoprost and bimatoprost, glaucoma medications, can cause periocular hyperpigmentation. These procedures may darken the skin around the eyes. Periocular hyperpigmentation usually starts 36 months following bimatoprost treatment. The mechanism underlying this adverse effect is unknown; however, it may include melanin synthesis or depression sunken eyes.

Eyestrain

Today's digital world often causes eyestrain from prolonged screen use, whether on a TV or computer. Long-term screen usage can strain eye muscles, causing pain and visual problems. Blood vessels surrounding the eyes dilate due to eyestrain.

As eye muscles work harder to concentrate, blood flow rises to give oxygen and nutrients. Increased blood flow can dilate or enlarge ocular blood vessels. Dilation may worsen with time, causing anemic under-eye.

Additionally, staring at screens for lengthy durations can disturb the blinking reflex, causing dry eyes and increasing eye strain. Dryness can dull eye skin and highlight dark circles.

Dehydration

Dehydration may significantly influence the skin surrounding the eyes and cause periocular hyperpigmentation. The under-eye skin can lose moisture and suppleness if the body is dehydrated, giving it a dull, sunken appearance.

The eyes' closeness to bone worsens dehydration. Dark circles and puffiness can result from skin dehydration, depression sunken eyes. Dehydration can also restrict the blood vessels around the eyes, making them look weary and older.

Genetics

Studies show genetics have a major impact on periocular hyperpigmentation (POH). A 2014 study found a substantial connection between POH and family history in 63% of participants.

POH may be hereditary and appear early in life and alter in intensity. Dark circles around the

anemic under-eyes may lighten or darken as people age due to the complex interaction of hereditary variables affecting skin pigmentation and structure. Variations in genes associated with melanin synthesis, skin thickness, and blood vessel shape may cause POH.

Remedies to Cure Dark Circles

This list of easy home remedies and products for dark circles under the eyes treatments might brighten your eyes:

Yoga/Meditation

An unstable lifestyle, stress, and sadness can cause dark circles beneath the eyes. Maintaining composure is one of the best strategies to treat dark circles. However, stress is part of life; therefore, it is not always achievable. Making Yoga and Meditation a daily habit is good!

Also, yoga soothes the mind, fights the dark anemic under-eye problems, regulates the body clock, and solves most physical issues from the core.

Sleep Regularly and Right Posture

Oversleeping is one of the most significant components in permanently removing dark circles under the eyes at home. Regular sleep lets your body and skin recover, heal, and rejuvenate. This rejuvenates your skin and wellbeing. Poor skin reveals interior health issues first. Regular sleep might be your best defense against depression sunken eyes.

Sleeping in the right posture helps with dark circles. The recommended way is to elevate your head while sleeping. Elevating the head during sleep habits impacts the eyes and their surroundings. A couple of cushions beneath the head can lift it and prevent fluid from accumulating behind the eyes, causing puffiness. This small change can enhance dark circle treatment and eye look.

Try Lemon Juice With Almond Oil

Almond oil and lemon juice are the best products for dark circles under the eyes. Eliminating water retention and puffy eye circles is possible with the help of ascorbic acid and other components found in lemon juice. Use cautious since it is undiluted and faintly bleaches the skin.

Use Tea Bags

A popular home cure for dark circles and puffiness around the eyes is tea bags. Tea bags are the right products for dark circles under the eyes. Tea caffeine has antioxidant qualities and improves ocular blood circulation, treating various conditions. Regularly using tea bags can calm weary eyes, decrease puffiness, and lessen dark circles, giving an easy and natural anemic under-eye treatment. However, outcomes may vary, and persistent use may be needed to observe meaningful changes.

Facials

By boosting eye circulation, facials can reduce dark circles. Gentle face massages can increase blood flow and reduce dark circles caused by poor circulation. A cold compress under the eyes helps reduce dark circles when massaged. Cold constricts blood vessels around the eyes, decreasing puffiness and dark circles.

However, cold compresses can be made using cucumber slices, gel eye masks, or a frozen washcloth. To relax, gently massage the cold compress over closed eyelids for several minutes to relieve depressed sunken eyes.