What causes dark circles under my eyes? Part 1: Natural causes of dark circles under the eyes

There can be many  reasons for the development of dark circles under the  eyes  .

It is natural for dark circles to appear around our eyes as a result of  fatigue  and  lack of sleep  .

In our multi-part article series, we will investigate what can cause discoloration:  are our eyes dark circles due to environmental influences, genetics, illness, allergies, or psychological reasons ?

Let’s start with the “natural” reasons.

Dark circles under the eyes are when the skin under both eyes appears darker.

Dark circles under the eyes are different from bruises, injuries, or viral infections around the eyes, especially if only one eye is affected by the discoloration.

Dark circles under the  eyes  can be  purple, blue, dark brown, or black depending on your skin tone .

These dark spots are rarely a cause for concern, but for aesthetic reasons, it is understandable that we would want to eliminate under-eye circles.

Who is primarily affected by the “dark circles under the eyes” problem?

Dark circles under the eyes appear with the same frequency in women as in men.

The difference may be that women   can “disappear” unwanted discoloration with appropriate makeup and concealers .

The problem is when dark circles  are combined with bags under the eyes .

Unfortunately, in this case, we may look older than our age, and traditional cosmetics will no longer help to eliminate it.

(We found the  solution , but more on that later!)

Dark circles around the eyes   can occur in anyone (even children and babies), but some people are more prone to “dark circles” under the eyes. 

Dark circles under the eyes are more common in people who:

• elderly
• have a genetic predisposition to it (periorbital hyperpigmentation)
• are of non-white ethnicity (people with darker skin tones are more prone to hyperpigmentation around the eyes)
• have dry skin
• they work hard, they study hard

Dark circles under the eyes: what exactly is hyperpigmentation?

The aforementioned  hyperpigmentation  is nothing more than  excessive discoloration of certain parts of the skin .

Dark pigments called melanin are   overproduced   and clump together, resulting in spots that are darker than the skin tone.

One of the causes of sunken, dark circles under the eyes is aging.

The under-eye area may appear darker due to changes in blood vessels and skin metabolism, which can also cause hyperpigmentation, as the capillaries under the skin around the eyes react strongly  to changes in circulation and oxygen deprivation .

This may be due to thinning of the skin around the eyes, which, along with the loss of fatty tissue, is a natural part of the aging process.

 This is why dark circles under the eyes appear more pronounced in older people .

This usually does not represent a medical problem.

What’s causing the dark circles under my eyes? Lack of sleep!

In some cases, dark circles under the eyes may indicate the  need for lifestyle changes , such as improving your sleep habits, as  fatigue  and  chronic sleep deprivation  are one of the main causes of dark circles under the eyes.

Lack of  sleep can make our  skin  dull and pale  , making the dark tissues under the skin more noticeable and contrasting due to pallor.

Lack of sleep can also cause fluid to accumulate under the eyes, causing dark bags to form around the eyes .

In this case, many times the dark circles are actually shadows cast on the face by puffy eyelids.

Causes of dark circles under the eyes: eye strain, too much screen time

Watching too much TV,   working in front of  a computer monitor , or staring at the screens of smart devices can cause  significant  strain on the eyes .

Due to strain, the  blood vessels around the eyes dilate . As a result, the skin around the eyes appears darker, which makes the eyes appear “darker.”

The cause of dark circles under the eyes can be: dryness, dehydration

Dehydration   can be a common cause of dark circles under the eyes .

When the body does not receive an adequate amount of fluid, the skin around the eyes looks dull and lifeless, the  eyes become sunken , and dark circles appear.

Due to the  slowed lymphatic circulation due to lack of water,  the pH balance is disrupted, the skin surface becomes too acidic. The breakdown of accumulated hemoglobin causes the formation of dark circles under the eyes.

Fluid deprivation can easily cause not only dark circles but also wrinkles under the eyes .

Dehydration also weakens the skin’s defenses.  If we don’t replace the missing fluids in time, sunken eyes and dark circles can become permanent !

Alcohol and caffeine are the enemies of dark circles under the eyes

Alcohol  consumption and excessive caffeine intake also  dehydrate our bodies , meaning they remove water from our bodies.

This is usually immediately visible on our face: the area under the eyes will have dark circles,  bags , and wrinkles .

Excessive alcohol consumption  deprives our skin of vital vitamins and nutrients .

Caffeine  inhibits  the synthesis of collagen  ( the protein responsible for skin elasticity), which is responsible for the youthfulness and health of the skin.

Sun exposure can also intensify dark circles under the eyes.

Excessive  sun  exposure can cause the body to produce too  much melanin  .

We talked earlier about how melanin is the pigment that gives our skin its color.

Too much sun not only  strengthens  freckles  , but also increases pigmentation around the eyes .

Genetics:

Dark circles under the eyes can be  a hereditary trait that  appears in childhood and  can become more pronounced with age or slowly disappear.

If there is  a tendency for certain diseases in the family  – such as thyroid disease – this can also result in the appearance of dark circles under the eyes.

In addition to natural causes  – the  aging process, sun exposure, exhaustion, dehydration, etc. – there may also be  signs of allergies or illness  . We will write about these in the next article.

The good news is that dark circles under the eyes can be visibly reduced!

There are many solutions for this, from makeup to creams for under-eye circles.

We will write about this in detail in the following article:  Causes of dark circles under the eyes Part 2: When dark circles under the eyes indicate iron deficiency or other disease , and Part 3: How to get rid of dark circles under the eyes .

What we have tried and  which visibly reduces dark circles under the eyes in minutes  is  INSTANTENSE® PLUS LIFTING SERUM , which is also effective in the long term when used regularly !

Its effectiveness is supported by thousands of satisfied customers and clinical studies.