One of the earliest signs of aging happen around the eyes area. It has been medically proven that eyes are vulnerable to dark circles, puffiness, fine lines and wrinkles.
Dark circles under eyes are very common beauty complaint. The variuos causes of the dark circles under eyes are as follows:
Fatigue/ Lack of Sleep
- Fatigue and poor quality of sleep can cause paleness to the skin, which causes blood vessel to become visible through the skin, and thus forming dark circles under the eyes area.
Age
- As people age, the skin on the face inevitably becomes thinner, dry and lack of the natural immunity to outside factors we put it through in which contributing the delicate veins and features beneath the eyes more visible and more susceptible to dark circles. The natural wrinkles, creasing and drying of more mature skin also equates to more prominent and pronounced dark circles under eyes. Likewise, the loss of moisture and elasticity on the skin also stimulate the dark circles to become darker and more prominent.
Stress/ Depression
- As a result of interruptive and not so recuperative rest periods, stress can causes difficulty for bodies to relax, rest and soak in the benefits of daily beauty sleep. Moreover, people constantly find themselves on edge generally tend to live less healthy, neglecting proper nutrition, and not allowing their bodies to relax and relief from busy life activities. As a result, people experiencing stressful lifestyle normally have a tendency to attribute the formation of dark circles under eyes, whereby skin around the eyes is very thin and easily subjected to more stress than most other areas of the skin.
Nutrient deficiency
- Lack of nutrients in the diet, or the lack of balance diet causes discolouration of the area under the eyes. The formation of dark circles under eyes may show a sign of iron deficiency in the diet, which is the most usual type of anaemia.
Allergies, Asthma and Eczema
- Itchy eyes, regardless of any condition cuasing it, may contribute to dark circles under eyes due to over rubbing or scratching the skin under the eyes. Hay fever sufferers particularly will notice under-eye "smudges" during the height of teh allergy season.
- Sensitive to skin, hair and eye care products or even nail polish can also cause puffiness to the eyes area.
- Furthermore, some food allergies may cause the area under the eyes to be more visible and darker. For instance the sulphites in wine, which may cause serious "morning after' face including puffy eyelids and dark circles under eyes.
Sun Exposure
- Exposure to sun can lead to excessive melanin production in the eyes area, which breaks down collagen and elastin, causing skin to lose its firmness. The skin under the eyes get damanged easily when exposed to the sun rays causing the skin under the eyes area becomes thinner and wrinkled. The veins below this skin will start looking prominent and thus wrinkles and prominent veins form dark circles.
- The same principle applies to darker skinned people whereby exposure to sunlight, especially during the summer months, can cause a higher-than-normal level of skin pigmentation under the eyes.
Hereditary and Genetics
- Genetics Darkness under the eyes area runs in the family and is more visible on fair skin, which accentuates dark circles under eyes. If your family members have dark circles, it is highly likely that you also have the same as it is an inherited trait like varicose veins.
- The skin under the eyes is very weak and thin. Thus, when blood passes through the large veins close to the surface of the skin, it will produce bluish tint. The more transparent the skin is, the more prominent the appearance of dark circles.
- Facial bone structure that produces the appearance of deep-set eyes and structure of the nose (high nose bridge) also contribute to the appearance of shadowed dark circles under eyes.
Lifestyles
- Smoking and consumption of alcohol and caffeinated beverages may cuase dark circles. Smoking damages the skin and destroys certain vitamins in the body (particularly vitamin C is required to rebuild skin cells). In the meantime, it also causes the blood vessels appear more prominent and bluer beneath the skin around the eyes area.
- Excessive alcohol consumption causes dehydration to the skin because it sucks moisture out of tissues and this can lead to wrinkles and premature aging. Combined with regular consumption of coffee and other high-caffeine drinks, these lifestyle factors are regarded to be behind the cause of dark circles under eyes.
Poor Blood Circulation
- Blood circulation may be one of the factors causing purplish circles and puffiness around the eyes area. As the skin under the eyes is weak and thin, tiny blood vessels on the skin gets pooling and drying due to poor blood circulation. As a result of pooling of the blood vessels, the skin under the eyes stretches over the bony structurally foundation of the eyes sockets and the lack of fatty layers, the purplish in appearance effect shadows and half circles appeared to be more visible under the eyes.
- Poor blood circulation in less serious circumstances could be contributed by stress, lack of sleep or in the more upsetting situation generated and inherited by family.
