The dark circles typically result from a dysfunction of the lymphatic tissues, leading to poor waste removal from cells by the lymph. This then results in a decrease in blood circulation activity. The skin around the eye being very thin compared to the rest of the face, it allows the blood vessels to show through.
If these marks often follow a period of fatigue, a stressful episode, short nights, or a hectic pace, other factors tend to promote them. These include pollution, sun exposure, dehydration, stress, or a diet rich in sugar, salt, and fats. Genetics can also be responsible for the presence of dark circles.
Liver problems or eye allergies should also not be ruled out. Indeed, poor waste elimination by the liver can lead to an accumulation of bilirubin, a yellow pigment. The area around the eyes is very thin, making the skin there very sensitive and easily revealing pigmentation. Three categories of dark circles can be distinguished.
The bluish dark circles.
Quite common, they usually occur upon waking and intensify during moments of fatigue. Also referred to as vascular dark circles, they are associated with a poor blood and lymphatic circulation. As they accumulate, the blood pigments cause a bluish discoloration beneath the eyelids, especially in the hollow of the eye and all around. This dysfunction is likely to intensify with age. The blood capillaries responsible for blood circulation relax due to a decrease in collagen production and become permeable.
The brown under-eye circles.
Brown circles or pigmented dark circles are the result of an accumulation of melanin pigments under the eyes. This hyperpigmentation is often hereditary and affects people with darker skin more. Pigmented dark circles can also form over time. The skin around the eyes is particularly thin, which tends to allow more sunlight to penetrate. As a result, the melanocytes in this area are significantly stimulated and synthesize a large amount of melanin.
Hollow under-eye circles.
Also referred to as structural dark circles, this type of under-eye circle is characterized by a shadow and a pronounced depression beneath the eyes. They can have a genetic origin or gradually develop with age, when the facial adipose tissue, located between the skin and the orbital bone, depletes and the skin sags.