A sleepless night, too much time in front of the computer and an annoying blue/reddish halo appears under the eyes. The rings under the eyes they are like the blindfolded goddess of justice: they attack anyone, regardless of sex, race and age (or almost). Luckily, they are a temporary physiological condition and purely aesthetic characterized by ahyperpigmentation of the skin under the eyes. When we are tired or sleep little, a vasodilation of the capillaries of the lower eyelid: this is the main cause of dark circles, but many other factors come into play: from bone conformation to hydration, from how much we sleep to lifestyle.
Vasodilation of the capillaries is the main cause of dark circles
Let’s not worry: dark circles are mainly an aesthetic problem, they do not represent a health hazardbut only for our self-esteem. They are a physiological phenomenon, in which the skin under the eyes appears darker or red. They affect men and women alike, of all races and ages and are caused by multiple factors, which as if that weren’t enough they influence each other. They are usually a temporary phenomenon, the appearance and extent of which can fluctuate both during the day and throughout life. Even though they affect such a large portion of the population, they are surprisingly there few studies on the mechanisms that cause them.
The main causes of dark circles are the stagnation of liquids and the vasodilation of the capillaries present in the lower eyelid of the eye. When circulation stagnates at the level of the capillaries (for example when we sleep little or are tired), more chromophores (colored molecules, in our case thehemoglobin and its degradation products) which become more visible through the skin.
The skin itself is another factor to take into consideration. First, the skin of the lower eyelid is thinner compared to that of other parts of the face, which is why the capillaries may be more visible. Furthermore, lack of sleep or irregular lifestyles can cause dehydration. Dehydrated skin is also duller, tired and thinner skin… increasing the appearance of dark circles.
It’s true: dark circles affect people at any age, but it’s also true that they increase and become more pronounced as the years go by. Also in this case it is a completely normal phenomenon linked to physiological loss of tonehydration and elasticity that the skin experiences as we age: the lipid layer of the skin tends to decrease, just as the underlying cartilaginous structures also lose tone. Furthermore, the older we get, the more the tear trough tends to sink, optically accentuating dark circles.
What can cause dark circles? From melanin to bone structure
However, dark circles can also derive from excessive deposition in the subocular area of another chromophore, in addition to hemoglobin: melanin. Even the excessive production of melanin falls within the limits of a physiological phenomenon that should not cause concern and is usually linked to factors genetic or toexposure to UV rays without sunscreen.
Furthermore, also the bone conformation of the eye socket can influence the appearance of dark circles: an already sunken eye will create a shady cavity which will optically make dark circles more accentuated.
Finally, we must consider that also the allergies and pathologies such as atopic dermatitis can causesecondary inflammation of the eyes and the skin of the lower eyelid with hypercoloration of the area and therefore dark circles (usually red). Not to mention that the itching generated by these conditions leads to rub your eyes more oftenfurther irritating and reddening the skin. In very rare cases they can be caused by systemic pathologies such as anemia or enlargement of the adenoids.
Lifestyle can cause dark circles: the main causes
So: sleeping little causes dark circles because it causes vasodilation, fluid stagnation and dehydration, which itself causes dark circles. Even when we are tired or have problems tired eyes, for example, spending a lot of time in front of screens seems to trigger the same vicious circle.
It is not yet clear how, but the consumption of alcoholthe smoke of cigarettean unregulated diet and the stress dark circles worsen. It is thought that a main role, in addition to the direct vasodilation caused for example by smoking and alcohol, is also played byinflammation of tissues.
In fact, it is known that these factors and chronic stress increase the levels of cytokines and other inflammatory mediators and that these cause the dilation of blood vessels, including capillaries. And consequently, again, worsening or causing dark circles from scratch.
What are the types of dark circles
Not all dark circles are the same! There are blue, purple, red, brownish or even yellowish ones. One has been proposed rating scale to recognize and best treat dark circles, although it is not always easy to distinguish between the various types.
- rings under the eyes pigmentedusually reddish in color, linked to excessive melanin production
- rings under the eyes vascularthe most common, blue-purple in color caused by vasodilation
- rings under the eyes structuraldarker, grey, caused by the shadow created by the shape of the eye
- rings under the eyes mixedcaused by a mix of the previous ones
How to fight dark circles
We reiterate that in most cases it is an aesthetic problem, not a health one temporarybut beyond do-it-yourself methods (cold compresses, cucumber slices on the eyes, skincare and so on) there are various real medical treatments, which must be evaluated and carried out by dermatologists and experts in the sector, depending of the typology: from the use of whitening agents to invasive interventions such as blepharoplasty.
The best solution, however, might simply be sleep more (and better), drink enough water and adopt a healthier lifestyle: in addition to benefiting the whole body, not just dark circles, it is also the cheapest solution.
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