As you get older, your skin becomes thinner. You also lose the fat and collagen needed to maintain your skin’s elasticity. As this occurs, the dark blood vessels beneath your skin become more visible causing the area below your eyes to darken.

What Causes Dark Undereye Circles? 

Other than a natural part of aging, other reasons why you would present with darker undereye circles include: 

• Fatigue: Sleep deprivation commonly causes your skin to appear dull or pale, which exposes dark tissues and blood vessels. Fatigue also often causes the area below your eyes to darken.
• Puffy Eyelids: These may form shadows that appear as bags under your eyes. They are also common.
• Dehydration: Lack of water in the body dehydrates your skin. This makes the area below your eyes appear dull, dark, or sunken.
• Sun Overexposure: Overexposing your eyes to the sun can trigger the overproduction of melanin, the pigment that gives skin its colour. Excess melanin production around the eyes will darken the area.
• Smoking: Studies show that cigarette smokers are more likely to suffer sleep deprivation due to nicotine’s stimulant effect.2 Smoking also causes premature skin aging.
• Alcohol Consumption: Like smoking, drinking alcohol causes premature skin aging and dehydration. Both are factors that may cause the skin under your eyes to appear darker than usual.
• Anemia (Iron Deficiency): Iron is essential in blood circulation and oxygen distribution in the body. Low iron levels result in insufficient oxygen supply in the skin under your eyes, resulting in a darker appearance.
• Poor Diet: Lack of proper nutrition, including fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, often results in dull, unhealthy skin. This includes skin discolouration, even around your eyes.
• Hormonal Changes: During pregnancy or menstruation, women may experience changes in their skin, including dark undereye circles. This may be a result of hormonal changes or lack of sleep.
• Allergies: Rubbing and scratching your eyes can harm or even darken your skin. In addition, some food allergies can cause the areas under your eyes to darken.