Dark eye circles are one of the most commonly encountered problems in my practice. Most people are bothered by them as they cause the eyes to look tired, listless, and aged.

But what causes them?

There are a myriad of reasons for dark circles, and unfortunately, this makes them one of the hardest conditions to treat!

Prominent Blood Vessels

That bluish hue is the result of prominent blood vessels under the eyes. This is mostly hereditary, being more common in darker skin types, but can also be due to medical conditions such as allergic rhinitis. Hence, even young people can be afflicted with this problem.

Aging

As you age, the dark circles will tend to get worse. The skin around the eyes are amongst the thinnest in the body, and aging (plus sun damage) causes this skin to thin even further, making the blood vessels underneath more prominent.

To make things worse, we lose the fat around the eyes as we age (volume loss), causing the eyes to sink further into the orbit, thus looking sunken, accentuating the dark circles by casting a shadow underneath the eye. (click here to read about solutions for volume restoration) link to fillers?

Pigmentation

Pigmentary deposits under the eyes contribute to dark circles. These can be caused by excessive sun exposure, or sometimes medical conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis.

Lifestyle

These are secondary, but they do contribute to make dark circles worse. Smoking worsens dark circles by making the blood circulation more sluggish. Late nights, and excessive salt intake worsen them as well, by making the eyes look more puffy.