Dark circles under the lower eyelids are common. Often accompanied by bags, having dark circles under your eyes may invite unwanted comments about how tired you look. In fact, there are many reasons for dark circles. It’s not always from a lack of sleep.
There are a number of possible reasons for dark circles under your eyes. Some common causes include:
Fatigue
Oversleeping, extreme fatigue, or just staying up a few hours past your typical bedtime can cause dark circles to form under your eyes. Sleep deprivation can cause your skin to become dull and paler.
Age
Natural aging is another common reason for dark circles beneath your eyes.
Eyestrain
Staring at your television or computer screen may cause strain on your eyes. This strain can enlarge the blood vessels around your eyes. As a result, the skin surrounding your eyes can darken.
Dehydration
Dehydration is a common cause of dark circles under your eyes.
Sun overexposure
Sun exposure can cause your body to produce an excess of melanin, the pigment that gives your skin color. Too much sun — particularly for your eyes — can cause pigmentation in the surrounding skin to darken.
Genetics
Family history also plays a part in developing dark circles under your eyes.
Anemia
Anemia is when your levels of red blood cells are lower than normal.If you have anemia, you may also notice that your skin is paler than usual, and you may have dark circles under your eyes.
There are various treatment options for dark circles:
Skin-lightening cream
To lighten under-eye hyperpigmentation, a dermatologist might prescribe a skin-lightening cream with azelaic acid, kojic acid, glycolic acid, or hydroquinone.
Laser therapy
Laser treatments use heat energy to vaporize damaged cells. The darker pigment under the eyes can be targeted.
Chemical peels
A light chemical peel to lighten dark pigmentation under the eyes. Commonly these will include glycolic acid, retinoic acid, or hydroquinone.
Fillers
A hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler such as Restylane or Juvederm can be injected into the tissue under the eye. Fillers help with volume loss under the eye, which can cause dark circles.
