Causes of Dark Circles

Dark circles - ever wonder why you get them?

Heredity is the primary cause of dark circles. Like so many things - eye color, curly or straight hair, skin tone - predisposition for dark circles is inherited.
The genes related to dark circles are actually the genes that cause weakened capillaries in the skin around your eyes (learn more about the biology of dark under-eye circles). Skin tone, including transparency of the skin, is also inherited and can make dark circles appear more dramatic.

What Causes Dark Circles?

Heredity isn't the only cause of dark circles. A variety of factors, both common and uncommon, can influence or cause the appearance of dark circles under the eyes.

Dark circles and sun exposure

Exposure to the sun can exacerbate your dark circles. Sunlight darkens the skin by raising melanin levels and bringing melanin to the surface of the skin. These boosted melanin levels make dark circles look darker.
So if you notice dark circles after a trip to the beach or the tanning bed, you're not alone.

Do fatigue or lack of sleep cause dark circles?

Short answer: no.
Long answer: not exactly. Lack of sleep makes your skin pale, which emphasizes your dark circles. Anything else that makes your skin pale, like fatigue or illness, makes your dark circles much more noticeable.
Pregnancy and menstruation also frequently make your skin pale. Many people associate dark circles with hormones -- but the hormones don't cause dark circles, just paleness.

The link between allergies and dark circles

Many people associate allergies with dark circles. This is a real and established connection. In fact, many doctors consider dark circles as an indication of allergies in children.
Allergies cause dark circles in two ways: first, histamine reactions themselves can cause dark smudges to appear under the eyes. The biology of this is way too complicated to get into here. Second, allergies frequently cause the eyes to feel itchy. Rubbing the eyes and the skin around the eyes makes dark circles even darker.

Age and dark circles

Yes, it's true -- age makes dark circles even worse. As we age, the skin of our faces becomes thinner. Thinner skin allows the discoloration of dark circles to be seen more easily, and dark circles become much more obvious.

Nutrition and dark circles

In some rare cases, lack of vitamins can cause dark circles under the eyes. This is relatively uncommon. Nevertheless, if you're not eating a balanced healthy diet, you may see dark circles. And sometimes changing to a more healthy diet can help to diminish those dark circles.