According to the Mayo Clinic, dark circles under the eyes can be caused by a number of reasons, from common allergies to aging. Understanding what's causing the dark circles is essential to treating them. The Wrong Diagnosis website cites 110 different things that could cause dark circles under the eyes, including persistent eye rubbing and dehydration.
Aging
As you get older, your skin thins and you lose collagen, making the blood vessels under your eyes more clearly visible. Heredity plays a role here, so if your parents have prominent dark circles around their eyes, chances are you will too. According to Derma Doctor website, the infraorbital fat pad, which is located under your eyes and over your cheeks, diminishes with age, giving your face a more sunken appearance and causing shadows which look like dark circles.
Allergies
According to Wrong Diagnosis, hay fever, dust allergy, mold allergy and even skin allergic reactions can cause dark circles under the eyes. Nasal congestion caused by allergies or a cold can dilate the veins under your eyes, making the dark color more prominent. Experts at the Allergy Nursing website explain that when you have an allergy you're also more likely to have itchy eyes, which prompts rubbing. This can lead to broken capillaries, which in turn increase the dark appearance of the circles.
Lack of Sleep
Lack of sleep causes your skin to be paler, which in turn makes the skin under your eyes more translucent and more likely to show blood capillaries. This causes the appearance of dark circles. Stress is sometimes named as a culprit for dark circles. Again, it's not the stress itself that causes the dark circles, but anxiety and stress can cause you to sleep less or wake up feeling tired and with sallow skin.
Member Comments