As you become older, the skin surrounding your eyes gets dehydrated, the capillaries begin to clog and blood vessels become more apparent under your eyes. The veins and capillaries get swollen and dark, or “dark circles” appear and create a “ring of black.” In most people, dark circles are caused by a lack of sleep, and in more severe cases, by smoking or hormone deficiencies. It is an excellent idea to try to limit your consumption of these things to reduce the cause of dark circles.
However, in some instances, the dark circles are caused by a medical condition, particularly something that has to do with the blood supply to the skin. It can be caused by a condition of the eye (glaucoma, cataracts, etc.) or some other sort of problem.
It is very normal for the eyes to turn dark and puffy after an overnight or a few days without sleep, which can be cured by under eye cream. This can be very disturbing for you if it persists over an extended period. Here are 5 of the most common causes of dark circles and eye puffiness.
Hormonal changes
This can sometimes be linked with the menstrual cycle as women are likely to have more fluid retention during their periods. Another hormonal change can be after menopause. This can make the eyes look darker as hormonal changes make the skin and the tissues more sensitive. You can, however, also have this darkening of the eyes even if you don’t have any hormonal changes. Hormonal changes can also make the tissues of the eye more sensitive, leading to an allergic reaction, which causes a burning sensation. You can get this darkening of the eyes during pregnancy as well.
Skin allergies
If you have a skin allergy, this is often associated with the appearance of dark circles and eye puffiness as the skin loses its elasticity and tightens. You may also feel tired when you are in the sun, which means that you can get these dark circles and eye puffiness. When you are in the sun, the skin of your eyes and the skin under your eyes gets dry, which can worsen your dark circles. When you get this, your eyes also dry out.
Stress
Another factor that can cause dark circles and eye puffiness is stress. If you are often stressed, your eyes may get dry as your tear glands release more tears to ease your stress. The more tears you shed, the more your skin under the eyes will stretch, which leads to more darkening of the eye area. It is also quite likely that if you are stressed for a long period, you can have a headache and this can further make your eyes darken.
Smoking and drinking
Smoking and drinking can both lead to dry skin, especially if you have dry eyes. Smoking and drinking can also affect the blood circulation in your eyes. This can lead to dark circles and eye puffiness, especially if you are also having dry eyes.
Sleep loss
Sleep loss may cause a number of problems in your body. It can also be very disturbing to your eyes and to your vision as sleep deprivation can also make your eyes dry and that may make them darken. It can also make your eyes lose elasticity, which can lead to eye puffiness.
While there are various causes of dark circles and eye puffiness, the good news is that there are ways in which you can lighten up your eyes and lessen their appearance.
Genetics
Some individuals are more prone to dark circles under the eyes. This condition is called oculocutaneous albinism.
It occurs when the melanin pigment in the skin and hair of the albinos becomes defective. Lack of melanin in the skin causes more blood to stay under the skin. This causes dark circles under the eyes. A person with a genetic defect may have a large number of dark circles under the eyes.
If you have dark circles under your eyes, there are many reasons that could cause them. They could be a hereditary trait, related to blood pressure, or something that you do, like smoke. This was a list of five of the most common causes of dark circles under your eyes that can be cured with under eye cream. There may be many more reasons why you get dark circles, but this is a start.