Dark Circles & Eye Bags
Dark circles under the lower eyelids are common in men and women. Often accompanied by 
bags, dark circles can make you appear older than you are. To make matters worse, they can be difficult to get rid of.
Though they can affect anyone, dark circles are most common in people who:
- are elderly
- have a genetic predisposition to this condition (periorbital hyperpigmentation)
- darker skin tones are more prone to hyperpigmentation around the eye area
While fatigue may seem like the most logical explanation for this condition, there are a number of factors that can contribute to dark circles under the eyes.
What causes dark circles?
There are a number of contributing factors for dark circles. Some common causes of include:
Fatigue
Oversleeping, extreme fatigue, or sleep deprivation can cause your skin to become dull and pale, allowing for dark tissues and blood vessels beneath your skin to show. Lack of sleep can also cause fluid to build underneath your eyes, causing them to appear puffy.
Age
Natural aging is another common cause of those dark circles beneath your eyes. As you get older, your skin becomes thinner. You also lose the fat and collagen needed to maintain your skin’s elasticity. As this occurs, the dark blood vessels beneath your skin become more visible causing the area below your eyes to darken
Eye strain
Staring at your television or computer screen can cause significant strain on your eyes. This strain can cause blood vessels around your eyes to enlarge. As a result, the skin surrounding your eyes can darken.
Allergies
Allergic reactions and eye dryness can trigger dark circles. When you have an allergic reaction, your body release histamines as a response to harmful bacteria. Other than causing uncomfortable symptoms — including itchiness, redness, and puffy eyes — histamines also cause your blood vessels to dilate and become more visible beneath your skin.
Allergies can also increase your urge to rub and scratch the itchy skin around your eyes. These actions can worsen your symptoms, causing inflammation, swelling, and broken blood vessels. This can result in dark shadows beneath your eyes.
Dehydration
Dehydration is a common cause of dark circles under your eyes. When your body is not receiving the proper amount of water, the skin beneath your eyes begins to look dull and your eyes look sunken. This is due to their close proximity to the underlying bone.
Sun overexposure
Overexposure to the sun can cause your body to produce an excess of melanin, the pigment that provides your skin with 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. It can be an inherited trait seen early in childhood, and may worsen as you age or slowly disappear.
Treatment
The treatment you choose will depend on the severity of the dark circles and bags under the eyes and your desired outcome. In some cases, you may want to try a combination of treatments. At the Care Life Clinic we offer: