About The Eye and Dark Circles

A dark circle is a black circle under our eyes which makes us look tired, skeletal, unhealthy, haggard, or worse. Sometimes they look more enhanced because of a sunken sub-orbicularis oculi area. The main reason or the causes of dark circles can be lack of sleep, iron or other vitamin deficiencies, sickness, hyper-pigmentation; excessive vascularization, visible blood vessels due to fast loss, thin, aging skin, or hereditary thinness or superficial vessels or it may be fat loss in general which causes a sunken look.

Other causes

1) Heredity- Like varicose veins, dark circles are usually an inherited trait. The skin under the eye is very thin. When blood passes through the large veins close to the surface of the skin it can produce a bluish tint. The more transparent your skin, also an inherited trait, the darker the circles appear.

2) Exposure to the sun- Even in darker skinned people, exposure to sunlight, especially during the summer months, can cause a higher-than-normal level of skin pigmentation. People get sun tans because exposure to the sun increases the natural pigmentation of the skin and draws that pigmentation to the surface.

3) Allergies, Asthma and Eczema- Any condition that causes eyes to itch can contribute to darker circles because rubbing or scratching the skin can darken the skin. Hay fever sufferers particularly will notice under-eye smudges during the height of the allergy season.

4) Any medication taken can also be the cause of the dark circle as that causes blood vessels to dilate and as the skin under the eyes is very delicate, any increase blood flow shows through the skin.

5) Nutrition- The lack of nutrients in the diet, or the lack of a balance diet, can contribute to the discoloration of the area.

6) Fatigue, Lack of sleep- A lack of sleep or excessive tiredness can cause paleness of the skin, which again allows the blood underneath the skin to become more visible and appear more blue or darker.

7) Pregnancy and Menstruation- The skin can also become more pale during pregnancy and menstruation, which again allows the underlying veins to become more visible.

8) Age- if you have a propensity to have dark circles under the eyes, as you grow older, they are likely to become more noticeable and permanent. Excess folds of skin will also make dark circles more prominent.

Also read our article about The Eye and Bright Light