Periorbital dark circles are dark blemishes around the

eye Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conv ...

s. There are many causes of this symptom, including heredity and bruising.

Causes

Anatomical factors

Bony structure and prominence of the orbicularis oculi muscle can contribute to infraorbital dark circles. Skin in the lower eyelid is very thin which accentuates subdermal features.

Allergies, asthma, and eczema

Any condition that causes the eyes to itch can contribute to darker circles due to rubbing or scratching the skin around them. Hay fever sufferers in particular will notice under-eye "smudges" during the height of the allergy season. Also, dark circles from allergies are caused by superficial venous congestion in the capillaries under the eyes.

Medications

Any medications that cause blood vessels to dilate can cause circles under the eyes to darken. The skin under the eyes is very delicate, any increased blood flow shows through the skin.

Anemia

The lack of nutrients in the diet, or the lack of a balanced diet, can contribute to the discoloration of the area under the eyes. It is believed that iron deficiency and

vitamin B₁₂ deficiency A vitamin is an organic molecule (or a set of molecules closely related chemically, i.e. vitamers) that is an essential micronutrient that an organism needs in small quantities for the proper functioning of its metabolism. Essential nutrien ...

can cause dark circles as well. Iron deficiency is the most common type of

anemia Anemia or anaemia (British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, or a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin. When anemia comes on slowly, ...

and this condition is a sign that not enough oxygen is getting to the body tissues. The skin can also become more pale during

pregnancy Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ...

and

menstruation Menstruation (also known as a period, among other colloquial terms) is the regular discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the inner lining of the uterus through the vagina. The menstrual cycle is characterized by the rise and fall of ...

(due to lack of iron), allowing the underlying veins under the eyes to become more visible.

Fatigue

A lack of sleep and mental fatigue can cause paleness of the skin, allowing the blood underneath the skin to become more visible and appear bluer or darker.

Age

Dark circles are likely to become more noticeable and permanent with age. This is because as people get older, their skin loses collagen, becoming thinner and more translucent. As facial fat descends and fat volume decreases, the somewhat inflexible ligaments can result in orbital rim and facial hollowing. Photoaging has similar effects. Hemoglobin breakdown products such as hemosiderin and biliverdin can leak from the vascular contributing to pigmentation changes. Circles may also gradually begin to appear darker in one eye than the other as a result of some habitual facial expressions, such as an uneven smile.

Sun exposure

Prompts your body to produce more melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color.

Periorbital hyperpigmentation

''Periorbital hyperpigmentation'' is the official name for when there is more melanin produced around the eyes than is usual, giving them a darker color.

Treatment

At one time, hydroquinone solution was often mixed in an oil-free moisturizer that acted like a skin bleach. However the use of hydroquinone for skin whitening has been banned in European countries due to health concerns. In 2006, the United States

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...

revoked its approval of hydroquinone for over the counter preparations warning that it may cause cancer or have many other detrimental effects. The use of hydroquinone skin-whitening products can be toxic, harmful or lethal for humans. Modern treatments include topical creams that are marketed for the condition. Various ingredients have been researched, developed and included in these creams. For example, recently, chemical compounds called alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) have been added as a beneficial ingredient to creams for dark circles. Specialist treatments including

laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The firs ...

and intense pulsed light skin surgery can also be used. A compounding cream of '' Pfaffia paniculata'', '' Ptychopetalum olacoides'' and '' Lilium candidum'' has also been reported as an effective treatments. Low-level laser therapy, autologous fat transplantation and hyaluronic acid fillers are also alternative treatment options. In addition, many skin care ingredients can help in the form of eye creams. Caffeine is a potent vasoconstrictor that has been proven to improve the look of dark circles by constricting, or tightening, the dilated vessels under eyes. Vitamin C can help brighten hyperpigmentation as well as thicken the dermal layer of skin which conceals dark circles.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Periorbital dark circles Eye diseases Symptoms Periorbital conditions