Dark circles under the eyes: causes, what helps and what is a waste of money

Dark circles make people look tired even after a good night’s sleep. They are especially common in Indian skin, and they often run in families. The right approach depends on what is causing yours, and some popular remedies do very little.

Why dark circles happen

The skin under the eyes is the thinnest on the body, so anything underneath it, or any extra pigment in it, shows easily. There are four main types, and many people have a mix.

1. Pigmented dark circles

Brown or dark brown colour from extra melanin. This is the most common type in Indian skin and is often inherited. Rubbing the eyes, allergies, sun and friction make it darker.

2. Vascular dark circles

Bluish or purplish colour from blood vessels showing through thin skin. They look worse with lack of sleep, after crying, and in the morning.

3. Hollows and shadows

With age or weight loss, the area under the eye can sink into a "tear trough", which casts a shadow. This is not a colour problem at all, so creams cannot fix it.

4. Puffiness

Swelling under the eyes casts a shadow below it. Salty food, poor sleep, allergies and sleeping flat can all add to it.

A simple test

Gently stretch the skin under your eye. If the colour stays, it is mostly pigment. If it lightens or turns bluish, blood vessels play a role. If it improves when you look up into a light, shadows are the issue.

Common causes and triggers

• Family history (the biggest factor for pigmented circles)
• Rubbing the eyes, often due to allergies or habit
• Allergies, sinus problems and eczema around the eyes
• Lack of sleep and long screen time
• Sun exposure without sunscreen around the eyes
• Iron deficiency and anaemia
• Thyroid problems
• Ageing, with thinner skin and loss of volume
• Dehydration, smoking and alcohol

What helps at home

1. Stop rubbing your eyes. If they itch, treat the allergy; rubbing is a major cause of darkening.
2. Sunscreen around the eyes, using a gentle, fragrance-free one, plus sunglasses outdoors.
3. Sleep 7 to 8 hours, with your head slightly raised if you get puffy.
4. A gentle eye cream with ingredients such as caffeine (for puffiness), niacinamide, vitamin C or a mild retinoid (for pigment), introduced slowly.
5. Cold compresses in the morning for puffiness.
6. Check iron and thyroid if you are also tired, pale or losing hair.
7. Cut down salt in the evening if puffiness is your main problem.

Give an eye cream 8 to 12 weeks before you judge it.

What is usually a waste of money

• Potato slices, cucumber and tea bags: they cool and briefly de-puff, but do not change pigment.
• Bleaching and lightening creams not meant for the eye area: they can burn the delicate skin and cause more darkening.
• Very expensive eye creams that promise to "erase" circles in days.
• Steroid creams used for itching around the eyes without advice: they thin the skin and can harm the eyes.

Clinic treatments worth considering

• Gentle chemical peels made for the under-eye area, for pigmented circles
• Laser toning to reduce pigment, used at careful settings near the eyes
• PRP under the eyes to improve skin quality and thin, crepey skin
• Treating allergies and eczema properly so the rubbing stops
• For hollows, volume-restoring treatments by a qualified specialist, if appropriate

Results are gradual. Pigmented circles improve but tend to need maintenance, especially if they run in the family.

When to see a doctor

• Dark circles with constant tiredness, breathlessness or pale skin (check for anaemia)
• Itching, redness or flaking around the eyes
• Sudden puffiness of the eyes and face, or swelling of the ankles
• Darkening that keeps getting worse despite care

The bottom line

Find your type first. Pigment needs sun protection, no rubbing and lightening care; blood vessels need sleep and skin strengthening; hollows and puffiness need different solutions altogether. Be patient and gentle, because this is the most delicate skin you have.

If you are in Surat, Nayra Skin Clinic can look at your dark circles, tell you which type they are, and suggest home care or clinic treatment that suits you.