Dark Circles Under Eyes Causes Can Be Widely Varied

If you are one of those who suffers from unsightly dark circles under your eyes, you know firsthand how unsightly they can be. Those dark circles add to the look of aging, make you look tired and haggard, and also work to damage your self-image. When you don’t feel good about how you look, your self-confidence erodes and you are not functioning at your best.

While there are many remedies of all kinds, most people want to know what are some of the causes of dark circles under eyes. Knowing the causes can help in understanding more about the condition and give you more ways to combat the problem.

Hereditary

First of all, those unsightly dark circles may be hereditary. Such a condition may simply run in the family. This does not mean they are untreatable, it simply narrows down the choices for remedies and solutions for getting rid of them.

The facial structure could also be the cause of dark circles under eyes. There is a facial structure with deep set eyes and overhanging brow area. This, obviously, creates a shadow effect upon the lower lid and therefore gives a dark appearance. If there is any darkness or puffiness under the eyes, unfortunately, it will show up much more quickly, and be more prominent on this type of facial structure.

Are Your Dark Circles True Dark Circles?

Before going to any length to remedy dark circles, such as surgery or other expensive procedures, check to be sure that what you are looking at is a true darkening. What is often mistaken for dark circles, is simply a shadow that may appear due to the aging process. The cause is much like the common puffiness that one sees around the mid-life years.

This area is known as the “tear trough.”  Because the skin is thin, the muscles and ligaments in the area will weaken with time. Due to no support the skin collapses causing an indentation. With the indentation, there arises a puffy area which casts a shadow that often gives the appearance of a dark circle under the eye.

To check to be sure, use your ring finger to gently pull the lower lid outward until it is taut. If the darkness disappears, it was not a true dark circle.

If you pull it taut and you still see discoloration, this tells you that you have true dark circles. Again, this is a natural result of aging when this thin skin exposes the purplish coloring from the blood vessels under the skin.

Allergies

Anyone who has ever had a head cold knows how closely related the eyes are to the nose and sinuses. Watery, burning eyes often accompany a cold. The same is true with allergies. Many allergy sufferers find that that is what causes dark circles under eyes.

Make note of when the dark circles appear, when they are the most prominent and when they fade out. If the discoloration is seasonal – only appearing during your allergy season – it’s a good indication that allergies may play a big part.

Dehydration

An early sign of dehydration will often be dark circles under the eyes. The problem with dehydration is that most people have no idea they have such a problem. Because they drink great amounts of coffee, soft drinks, and sweet iced tea, they believe that suffices. However, this is not always true.

Each of these products contains many adverse substances such as sugar, caffeine and other additives all of which sap the body not only of necessary nutrients, but also proper hydration.

As mentioned previously, the skin in the area under the eye is thin. The membrane that runs between a fatty layer underneath and an outer layer of skin on the surface can dry out. This is why if you are dehydrated, the area under the eyes will give you the first indications.

Whether or not dehydration is cause of dark circles under your eyes will only be determined by slowly eliminating other liquid intake from your diet for a few days and switch over to drinking only filtered water. Give enough time for the body to cleanse itself and see if the dark circles begin to diminish.

Stress and Insufficient Rest

Another cause for those dark circles may be due to lack of proper rest. Rest doesn’t always mean simply sleeping – although a good sound sleep is very important. Rest can also refer to the absence of stress. The times we live in are extremely fast paced and hectic. Relaxation and deep breathing exercises can be highly beneficial in eliminating and diminishing stress.

Summing Up
While this is not a complete list of possible causes of dark circles under the eyes, it can give you a good start on determining which cause might fit your case. Once the cause is isolated, then you can move toward selecting a remedy or remedies.