Causes of Dark Circles Under Eyes

By sandy

Reviewed: dr. vanta

Article Sources

Article Sources

• 1. Sheth, Pratik B., et al. 'Periorbital Hyperpigmentation: A Study of Its Prevalence, Common Causative Factors and Its Association with Personal Habits and Other Disorders.' PubMed Central (PMC), Mar. 2014, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3969674/
• 2. Sarkar, Rashmi. 'Periorbital Hyperpigmentation: A Comprehensive Review.' PubMed Central (PMC), www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4756872/
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• 4. 'Dark Circles Under Eyes Causes.' Mayo Clinic - Mayo Clinic, www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/dark-circles-under-eyes/basics/causes/sym-20050624?p=1
• 5. Roberts, Wendy E. 'Periorbital Hyperpigmentation: Review of Etiology, Medical Evaluation, and Aesthetic Treatment.' JDDonline - Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 21 Nov. 2019, jddonline.com/articles/dermatology/S1545961614P0472X
• 6. Patterson, Freda. 'Sleep As a Target for Optimized Response to Smoking Cessation Treatment.' OUP Academic, 23 Oct. 2017, academic.oup.com/ntr/article/21/2/139/4562639

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It's easy to assume that dark circles are caused by fatigue and to alleviate the condition, simply get more sleep. While fatigue is one of the common reasons for dark circles, it's not the only one. Oversleeping may be another cause.

More serious possible causes of dark circles under the eyes can include hereditary conditions, nutritional deficiencies and habits such as smoking. While simple lifestyle changes and a touch of makeup may improve the appearance of dark circles, it's worth checking in with a medical professional if the problem persists.

Anemia

Dark circles under the eyes are also known as periorbital hyperpigmentation or POH and are one of the symptoms of anemia. In a study performed on those with POH, 50 percent had associated iron deficiency anemia. It's believed that low levels of oxygen in the blood due to anemia may cause POH.

The study further reports that with improvement of the anemia, many people also reported an improvement in their POH. Although anemia is one of the common causes of dark circles under the eyes, it's worth consulting a physician for further testing as POH may be related to a number of other conditions.¹Sheth, Pratik B., et al. ‘Periorbital Hyperpigmentation: A Study of Its Prevalence, Common Causative Factors and Its Association with Personal Habits and Other Disorders.’ PubMed Central (PMC), Mar. 2014, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3969674/