Dark circles under the eyes. We’ve all experienced them at some point in our lives. They are common with both genders and can start to appear as early as age 16. So what causes them? How can we treat them, and how can we care for this delicate area of our face.?
According to the Mayo Clinic, the number one cause of dark circles under the eyes is fatigue.
Here is an expanded list of common causes:
- Oversleeping or Fatigue. Not getting enough sleep can cause your skin to look dull and pale and cause dark circles to appear under your eyes. Sometimes not getting enough sleep can cause fluid retention in the area, causing dreaded bags and puffiness. These bags can also cast a shadow giving the appearance of dark circles under the eyes.
- Natural aging. As we get older we lose fat and collagen from our skin and it gets thinner, especially underneath our eyes. The blood vessels underneath our skin can make the area appear darker at that point because they are closer to the surface.
- Allergic Reactions from products that you use such as make up, soap, hair products, creams, and even medications or eye drops. When we have an an allergic reaction to something, our body releases histamines. These histamines can cause itchiness, redness and puffiness and can also cause the blood vessels beneath the skin to dilate, and as mentioned in the point about natural aging, this can make the area look darker.
- Excessive Rubbing and Scratching of this delicate area because of the allergic reaction, or just out of habit, can cause it to become darker.
- Physical and Mental Stress in general can cause the area under the eyes to become darker and especially straining the eyes with lots of reading, work at a computer or watching too much television.
- Dehydration. It seems like not getting enough water is the cause of many ailments these days, and it’s no wonder, especially when we think how important water is for our bodily functions. Not getting enough water can make our whole face look dull and they eyes to appear sunken, and the area under the eyes to look darker because again, it becomes closer to the blood vessels and the bones.
- Iron deficiency. The hemoglobin in our blood is what gives blood it’s red color. If you are not taking enough iron, it can make your skin look pale and unhealthy, and the area under the eyes to become darker. Doctors often use this as a sign of iron deficiency, however it is always confirmed with a blood test.
- Smoking. We know it increases the free radicals in our skin and it can cause the area under our eyes to look darker or become puffy.
- Family History. For some people dark circles run in the family. Darker skin under the eyes can appear at a younger age and get darker with time.
- Medical Condition. Dark circles under the eyes can be a sign of an underlying medical condition such as thyroid disease. If you have any concerns you should always check with your doctor.
- Sun exposure. When we expose our body to the sun it produces melanin which causes our skin to become darker. Too much exposure can cause melanin to be produced an the area under the eyes to become darker.
