The appearance of dark circles and sunken eyelids may alarm you. Typically, people associate these features with partying, sleeplessness, growing old, being overworked and illness. For the most part, these assumptions may not be so far from the truth. In fact, research at the Mayo Clinic and other reputable sites points to dehydration, weight loss, aging and heredity as the leading causes of dark circles and sunken eyelids.
Dehydration
Much of the volume of eyelids comes from water, fat and collagen. As the eyelid thins as a result of excessive water loss, the dark-blue blood vessels below the eyelid surface become more apparent, causing your eyelids to look dark and sullen. Factors such as alcohol use, excessive sweating from heat exhaustion, fever or exercise, stomach illness, and diarrhea can exacerbate this effect. That is why some associate each activity like partying and sickness with dark circles and sunken eyelids.
Excessive Weight Loss
Weight loss can provide great health benefits for overweight individuals, but as weight loss continues into unhealthy ranges extending beyond normality, as is the case with eating disorders like bulimia and anorexia nervosa, the fat beneath the eyelid begins to shrink away, causing the blood vessels to be overexposed. Consequently, the appearance of sunken eyes and dark circles increases dramatically with the more weight that is lost. This is one reason malnourished, or starved, individuals often have dark circles and sunken eyes associated with their condition.
Aging
As you age, you lose collagen, especially from the skin and around the eyes. This causes the eyelid to thin out and gain its sunken appearance, which also triggers the blood vessels beneath the surface to overshadow normal skin pigmentation with darker hues. For individuals with less fat on their body, this change becomes even more evident.
Genetics
The underlying factors determining the percentage of fat beneath the eyelid surface and the pigmentation of skin cells depend greatly on heredity and family history. Individuals who have parents and grandparents with dark circles will have a higher risk of having dark circles themselves. Likewise, a family history of sunken eyelids increases your odds of having sunken eyelids. Even the rate at which skin ages, thins and becomes transparent depends to some extent on genetics.
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