facial skin is thin and/or light by nature encounter dark circles much more often, which is related to skin structure. The thinner it is, the more noticeable the vessels, capillaries, and vein walls are. It is also worth noting that people with dry skin type are also more likely to have dark circles, which is again due to skin structure and the fact that dehydrated skin often looks grey.
Fatigue
Tiredness, chronic lack of sleep and physical exhaustion are one of the most common causes of dark circles under eyes. Obviously, your skin (as well as the body) won’t be “grateful’ for overwork or lack of sleep; on the contrary, it will become pale, lifeless, dull, with an ill-looking shade from grey to swampy. Moreover, the bigger fatigue is, the more groggy look a person has, and it is the eyes that give out the problem first.
The skin around eyes is generally thin, and more obvious paleness caused by fatigue makes underlying capillaries more visible, contributing to the “blue’ effect. In this case, any treatment will be meaningless: the person must take action themselves: change the daily routine and reduce stress level, improve sleep and rest.
Eye strain
Long hours of any screen time (computer, smartphone, TV), reading in insufficient light put extra strain on eyes making the skin darken. Again, this is due to vessels and capillaries becoming more visible because of muscle spasm.
Makeup
This encompasses excessive skin exposure to various substances. For example, decorative cosmetics and/or skin care products that do not match the skin type and age can also provoke the appearance of dark circles. In addition, abuse of treatments including various beauty injections with side effects significantly weakens skin and makes it duller.
One must remember that natural and salon tanning, neglecting sunscreen, especially during the strongest sun activity, also result in sad consequences. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet light stimulates melanin secretion, which affects colour of skin in general and of under eyes in particular. The skin does not have time to recover and dark circles appear as a response.
Bad habits
Smoking and alcohol abuse has a detrimental effect on health, including skin condition. Over time, face gets a tired look, losing elasticity and ability to resist harmful substances. In this case bruises under eyes become one of the most noticeable features.
Frequent and excessive consumption of fast food, canned food, coffee, and some seasonings also affects skin health and can provoke dark circles appearance. The use of products containing sugar, especially refined, as well as trans fat, has a particularly negative effect on skin condition. According to the research of one of the cosmetic companies producing care cosmetics, sugars destroy cells from the inside, slow down collagen synthesis, which leads to early ageing. Circles under eyes are exactly the first sign of excessive sugar consumption.
Natural causes
This group includes age-related changes. By around the age of 50, skin becomes less fresh, collagen and elastin, responsible for firmness and elasticity, are not produced as actively as before, making vessels on eyelids visible.
Another cause of eyelids getting darker with age has to do with subcutaneous fat. This is the lower layer of epidermis, which sits on muscles and capillaries. There is no such fat in some body areas, so, for example, the colour of lips differs from that of the rest of the face. There is subcutaneous fat in lower eyelids, but it is very thin. With age, this layer becomes even thinner, resulting in the bruising effect. By the way, it is also sometimes observed in infants: their subcutaneous fat has not grown yet.
Diseases
Dark circles under eyes can be a symptom of a number of diseases. That is why a person suddenly develops these circles, it is important to consult a doctor. Diseases causing under eyes bruises comprise, for example:
• Allergies, including pollinosis and conjunctivitis, which may result in small swelling and redness, creating grey or purple circles under eyes.
• Osteochondrosis, a disease when structure of intervertebral discs is disrupted, which leads to serious malfunctions not only of musculoskeletal system, but also of other body systems. Other symptoms include: tinnitus, dizziness, numbness of fingers, impaired vision, eye floaters, frequent pains and burning sensations in the neck, a “lump’ in the throat.
• Sinusitis causes circles to appear due to inflammation and swelling of sinuses for being located close to eyes. The following is also observed: swollen nose and excessive nasal discharge, a constant feeling of an unpleasant sweet smell, a bad sense of smell, a strong cough in sleep and other unpleasant symptoms in the respiratory tract.
• Skin hyperpigmentation: this ailment most often provokes the appearance of yellowish circles. However, it can be prevented even on prone skin. Deep moisturising is required as well as creams or concealers with high SPF protect, both chemical and physical, to ensure complete protection. Meanwhile, to lighten skin under eyes, one should use products consisting vitamin A, C and niacinamide (a form of niacin, vitamin B3).
• Thyroid gland disorders: hyperthyroidism (hyper-function, i.e. excessive activity of the gland) or hypothyroidism (hypo-function, i.e. insufficient activity of the gland) also lead to dark circles under eyes. By the way, thyroid disorder is often confused with increased fatigue and exhaustion which are symptoms of the disorder.
• Serious pathologies: circles under eyes (not necessarily dark in colour) can be a symptom of kidney, heart, or adrenal gland pathology; cholecystitis, iron deficiency anemia, helminthiasis, cancer, etc.
Determining the colour of the skin under eyes is just one step in diagnosing a disease. If a doctor spots ill-looking dark circles in the patient, they can give them a referral for various examinations, such as:
• general or/and biochemical blood test
• blood test for trace elements and/or hormones
• general urinalysis
• stool test
• chest X-ray
• X-ray of the cervical spine
• bronchoscopy
• electrocardiography
• echocardiography
• kidney ultrasound
• thyroid gland ultrasound
• heart ultrasound
• neck and head vessels ultrasound
Perhaps, with tests results a general practitioner will refer a patient to a specialist, for example, to an ophthalmologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist or gastroenterologist for further examination and a prescribed treatment plan.
In this case a permanent makeup artist will not be able to deal with circles under eyes, as first of all the primary cause, the disease, should be eliminated. Once it is done, the artist can correct the remaining blemishes. It should be said that camouflage copes with hyperpigmentation and its consequences easily, significantly improving the quality of life of the client.
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