What Causes Dark Circles Under Your Eyes?

Bruises. Bags. “Racoon eyes.” Have you ever wondered what causes dark circles under your eyes? Many people think it’s just a lack of sleep, or getting poor quality of sleep. It’s a large problem for many men and women, and some even resort to surgery to fix it! While getting more sleep is certainly something that would help a lot in minimizing dark circles, in truth there are a number of different things that can contribute to it.

Common Roots to What Causes Dark Circles Under Your Eyes

First and foremost it’s important to remember that the dark circles are actually bruises, which are the result of leaking or burst blood vessels beneath your skin. This is usually harmless in small quantities, but can be quite unattractive aesthetically. Here are some of the common causes:

Sleep Duration and Quality: This is the first obvious cause of what causes dark circles under your eyes. Sleep is when the body repairs itself and relieves itself of stress, so if you don’t get enough of it, the body’s repair systems aren’t able to fully recover. If you need help sleeping better or long enough, try changing your routine. Go to bed earlier, avoid heavy meals or any drugs in the late hours (including alcohol or cigarettes!), and avoid looking at a back lit screen.
Sleeping position: When you sleep on your back, blood fills the vessels up around your eyes, so that any leakage is more likely and more pronounced. Try to sleep on your side instead, or using pillows to prop up your head.
Allergies: Believe it or not, allergies can also have a pronounced effect on your bags. The constant pressure and irritation to your sinuses can make blood vessels more likely to break or leak, so be sure to avoid whatever causes your allergic reaction if you can.
Clear nasal congestion: Similarly if your sinuses are stuffy, they can make the darkness around your eyes more prominent. If you have a cold, using medication to clear your sinuses might help in reducing the dark circles (aside from also helping you breath easier)
General health: Keeping your body health yin general also helps keep your skin looking good. When your cells are dehydrated or lacking in nourishment, they’re weaker and have a harder time repairing. Making sure you get the vitamins and minerals your body needs is a great first step to ensuring your skin looks its best, including the skin around your eyes.

Want Solutions for What Causes Dark Circles Under Your Eyes?

For some the above solutions aren’t enough. Whether it’s due to genetics or just different lifestyles, not everyone can get rid of their dark circles by just a few lifestyle changes or home remedies.

Luckily, there are a number of products that can help eliminate or reduce such dark circles. The best treatments for what causes dark circles under your eyes are those that address three major points:

Address the circles themselves: The top ingredients for addressing dark circles include Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, to reduce leakage of blood vessels around the eyes, and Palmitoyl Oligopeptide and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3, to increase collagen production. Other ingredients, like hydroquinone, can be less effective.
Protection: As great as the sun can be, UV rays can weaken skin and worsen signs of aging. Any attempt to improve your skin’s appearance must also protect it from damage by the sun, both for short term and long term.
Aging: Skin care products that strengthen blood vessels and enhance collagen production can help immensely in reducing bags. To top it off, reducing the fine lines around your eyes can also help them appear clearer and more healthy in general.

If that sounds like a lot to keep track of, don’t panic! There are plenty of resources online to help you find the right skin care product for you, and help you avoid the less effective or overpriced ones

To that end, we’ve reviewed the top treatments for getting rid of dark circles and ranked them by a number of easy to judge metrics. Click here to find the best treatment now!