Definition
What is The eye area: dark circles, puffiness and eczema?
The skin around the eyes is some of the thinnest skin on the body. It has few oil glands, blood vessels and muscles lie right beneath the surface, and it's constantly folding with thousands of blinks a day. That's why factors such as fatigue, allergies, aging and the wrong product choices show up much faster and more clearly around the eyes than anywhere else on the face.
Dark circles under the eyes don't have a single cause. In some people, excess pigment in the skin gives a brownish color; in others, blood vessels showing through thin skin create a purple-blue shadow; and in others, the trough under the eye deepening with age and volume loss (under-eye hollows) casts a shadow. Under-eye bags and puffiness can be linked to salt, lack of sleep, allergies or the fat pads under the eyes that become more prominent with age. Eyelid eczema shows up as itching, redness, flaking and burning, and is often a sign of an allergy to a product or substance.
The secret to successful care around the eyes is correctly understanding what type of problem you have. An approach that works for pigment-related circles may not help vascular ones, and a rich eye cream applied to an eyelid with eczema can make things even worse.
Check yourself
How do you recognise it?
- ✓Brownish darkening under the eyes (pigment type)
- ✓Purple-blue or pinkish darkening that becomes more visible when you stretch the skin under the eye (vascular type)
- ✓An under-eye shadow and trough that become more noticeable when light comes from above (structural type)
- ✓Eyelid puffiness that's noticeable in the morning and eases during the day
- ✓Persistent under-eye bags
- ✓Itching, redness and burning of the eyelids
- ✓Flaking, dryness and thickening of the eyelid skin
- ✓Fine lines around the eyes becoming more noticeable
- ✓Darkening under the eyes along with watery, itchy eyes and sneezing (allergic type)
Why it happens
Main causes
01
Genetics and skin tone
Under-eye pigmentation can run in families and is more common in darker skin types.
02
Thin skin and superficial blood vessels
The thin skin under the eyes reflects the color of the network of blood vessels and the muscle beneath it. This leads to purple-blue dark circles.
03
Age-related structural changes
With age, the fat pads under the eyes become more prominent, volume in the cheeks decreases and the tear trough deepens. This creates both a bag and a shadow appearance.
04
Allergies and eczema
Hay fever, atopic eczema and contact allergy cause both swelling around the eyes and post-inflammatory darkening. Rubbing your eyes often makes it worse.
05
Lack of sleep and fatigue
An experiment looking at the effect of sleep deprivation on facial appearance showed that sleep-deprived people were perceived as having puffier eyes, darker under-eye circles and more noticeable fine lines.
06
Sun and aging
The sun increases pigmentation around the eyes and breaks down collagen, making the skin even thinner.
07
Other factors
Iron deficiency, thyroid problems, swelling related to the kidneys or heart, and some eye drops can also cause changes in color and puffiness around the eyes.
In daily life
Triggers that cause flare-ups
Medical approach
Treatment options
01
Identifying the right type
Your dermatologist can tell through an exam whether your dark circles are pigment-related, vascular or structural. Many women have more than one cause at once, and treatment is combined accordingly.
02
Pigment-type dark circles
Azelaic acid, retinoids and other brightening ingredients can be used on your dermatologist's advice. Because the eye area is sensitive, treatment starts with low strengths. Procedures such as chemical peels and lasers are chosen carefully.
03
Vascular and structural darkness
For visible blood vessels, certain laser treatments; for tear troughs and volume loss, fillers or fat transfer; and for prominent bags, surgical options may be considered after evaluation by a dermatologist and a plastic surgeon.
04
Eyelid eczema
The most important step is finding the cause. Your dermatologist can identify the substance causing the allergy with a patch test. Short-term anti-inflammatory creams suitable for the eye area or steroid-free alternatives are used under your dermatologist's supervision; you shouldn't apply cortisone cream to your eyelids on your own.
05
Hay fever and eye allergies
For allergy-related puffiness and darkening, the allergy medications and eye drops your doctor recommends can reduce swelling and make circles less noticeable.
06
Underlying causes
If iron deficiency, a thyroid problem or a systemic condition that causes swelling is found, treating it will also show in how the eye area looks.
Did you know? · The eye area: dark circles, puffiness and eczema
74% · Among 203 patients with persistent or recurring eyelid eczema, 74% were found to have allergic contact dermatitis, meaning an allergy to a product or substance.
Step by step
Care routine for The eye area: dark circles, puffiness and eczema
- 1
Cold compress
For morning puffiness, hold a clean, cold, damp cloth on your eyelids for 2-3 minutes.
- 2
Gentle cleansing
Cleanse the eye area with just lukewarm water or a very gentle cleanser, without rubbing.
- 3
Light eye cream
Tap on a light, fragrance-free eye cream with prebiotics and niacinamide or caffeine using your ring finger.
- 4
Sun protection
Use a mineral sunscreen suitable for the eye area and sunglasses with UV protection.
- 5
Smart concealer
You can use a color corrector with a peach undertone for purple-blue circles and an orange undertone for brown circles.
Caution
What to avoid, and when to see a doctor?
Avoid these
- ✕Rubbing your eyes
- ✕Fragranced, essential-oil-based and tinted eye creams
- ✕Applying strong acids and retinoids made for the face to your eyelids
- ✕Applying cortisone cream to your eyelids on your own
- ✕Sleeping in your makeup
- ✕Expired mascara and eyeliner
- ✕Getting false lash adhesives or lash lifts during a sensitive period
- ✕Starting many new products at the same time
See a dermatologist
- →If eyelid itching, redness and flaking last more than 2 weeks
- →If swelling is sudden, one-sided, painful or affects your vision (requires urgent evaluation)
- →If eyelid swelling comes with swelling of the face, lips or tongue and shortness of breath (emergency)
- →If the darkness under your eyes is new and you also feel tired, look pale or feel weak
- →If you also have swelling in your legs or elsewhere in your body
- →If you notice a bump or sore on your eyelid that won't go away, or loss of eyelashes
Common misconceptions
Myth or fact?
Myth
Dark circles only come from lack of sleep.
Fact
Lack of sleep makes circles more noticeable, but it's usually not the only cause. Genetics, pigmentation, thin skin, allergies and age-related structural changes also play an important role.
Myth
The richer the eye cream I use, the better.
Fact
The most common cause of eyelid eczema is an allergy to products. Creams with many ingredients and fragrance can make the problem worse; simple products with few ingredients are safer around the eyes.
Myth
Cucumber slices get rid of dark circles.
Fact
Like a cold compress, they can temporarily reduce puffiness, but they don't change pigment-related or structural darkness.
Popular searches
Most asked about The eye area: dark circles, puffiness and eczema
Your questions
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell what type of dark circles I have?+
If the color lightens when you gently stretch the skin under your eye with your finger, a structural or vascular component may dominate; if it doesn't change, a pigment component may dominate. A shadow that becomes more noticeable when light comes from above points to a tear trough and volume loss. Your dermatologist makes the definitive distinction.
Do I really need an eye cream, or can I use my face cream?+
A simple face cream that doesn't irritate can be used around the eyes. The advantage of eye creams is that they're tested for the eye area and are generally lower-strength and fragrance-free.
Why won't my eyelid eczema go away?+
Most of the time, the trigger is something you're in constant contact with: eye makeup, shampoo, nail polish, hand cream or eye drops. A patch test is the most reliable way to find that substance.
How can I reduce morning puffiness?+
Cutting back on salt and alcohol in the evening, sleeping with your head slightly raised, a cold compress in the morning and keeping any allergies under control noticeably reduce puffiness.
Can I use retinol under my eyes?+
Low-strength retinoids formulated for the eye area can be used; however, if you have eczema or sensitivity, you need to wait for the barrier to recover first. Retinoids aren't used during pregnancy.
Is there a permanent solution?+
It depends on the cause. Pigment-related circles can lighten with regular care and sun protection; for structural troughs and bags, longer-lasting options such as fillers or surgery can be evaluated by a dermatologist and a plastic surgeon.
What causes dark circles under the eyes?+
There's no single cause: genetics and excess pigment cause brown darkening, blood vessels showing through thin skin cause purple-blue darkening, and a tear trough that deepens with age causes darkening in the form of a shadow. Allergies, rubbing your eyes, lack of sleep and the sun make this more noticeable. If new darkening comes with fatigue and paleness, causes such as iron deficiency should also be investigated.
How can I get rid of dark circles at home?+
Depending on the cause, they can be lightened: regular sleep, not rubbing your eyes, keeping allergies under control and using a sunscreen suitable for the eye area and sunglasses every day are the basic steps. For the pigment type, niacinamide or brighteners your dermatologist recommends help; for the vascular type, a cold compress and the right color corrector help. Structural hollows don't change with creams; in that case, talk to your dermatologist.
What causes under-eye bags, and how do I get rid of them?+
Puffiness that's noticeable in the morning and eases during the day is usually fluid buildup from salt, alcohol, lack of sleep or allergies; sleeping with your head slightly raised, cutting back on salt in the evening and a cold compress help. Persistent bags that last all day, however, come from fat pads that become more prominent with age and don't go away with creams; in that case, surgical options can be evaluated by a plastic surgeon.
How do I apply eye cream?+
Gently tap a rice-grain-sized amount of cream along the bone under your eye using your ring finger; don't bring it too close to the lash line. Rubbing and pulling irritate the thin skin. You can choose a light product in the morning and a richer, fragrance-free one in the evening.
Scientific basis
Sources
- 1.Eyelid dermatitis: experience in 203 cases.
Guin JD · J Am Acad Dermatol · 2002 · doi:10.1067/mjd.2002.122736
Relevant allergic contact dermatitis was found in 151 (74%) of 203 patients with persistent or recurring eyelid eczema; cosmetics, metals and eye medications were important sources.
- 2.The aetiology of eyelid dermatitis: a 10-year retrospective analysis.
Amin KA, Belsito DV · Contact Dermatitis · 2006 · doi:10.1111/j.1600-0536.2006.00927.x
Allergic contact dermatitis was found in 43.8% and seborrheic dermatitis in 36.2% of patients with eyelid eczema; when only the eyelids were involved, seborrheic dermatitis was the most common diagnosis.
- 3.Infraorbital Dark Circles: A Review of the Pathogenesis, Evaluation and Treatment.
Vrcek I, Ozgur O, Nakra T · J Cutan Aesthet Surg · 2016 · doi:10.4103/0974-2077.184046
Reviewed how under-eye dark circles arise from a combination of deep facial anatomy, soft tissue changes and skin-related factors, and why treatment should be personalized accordingly.
- 4.Periorbital Hyperpigmentation: A Comprehensive Review.
Sarkar R, Ranjan R, Garg S, Garg VK, et al. · J Clin Aesthet Dermatol · 2016
Reported that darkening around the eyes can result from genetics, excess pigmentation, marks left after atopic and allergic dermatitis, swelling, visible blood vessels and age-related shadowing.
- 5.What causes dark circles under the eyes?
Freitag FM, Cestari TF · J Cosmet Dermatol · 2007 · doi:10.1111/j.1473-2165.2007.00324.x
Reviewed the multiple causes of dark circles, such as dermal melanin deposits, post-inflammatory pigmentation, swelling, superficial blood vessels and shadowing due to skin laxity.
- 6.Cues of fatigue: effects of sleep deprivation on facial appearance.
Sundelin T, Lekander M, Kecklund G, Van Someren EJ, et al. · Sleep · 2013 · doi:10.5665/sleep.2964
Showed that the faces of sleep-deprived people were perceived as having puffier eyes, darker under-eye circles and more fine lines.
- 7.The human skin microbiome.
Byrd AL, Belkaid Y, Segre JA · Nat Rev Microbiol · 2018 · doi:10.1038/nrmicro.2017.157
Summarized how the skin microbiome interacts with the immune system to influence barrier health and balance in atopy-prone skin.
- 8.Oral and Topical Probiotics and Postbiotics in Skincare and Dermatological Therapy: A Concise Review.
De Almeida CV, Antiga E, Lulli M · Microorganisms · 2023 · doi:10.3390/microorganisms11061420
Reviewed how skin microbiota balance can be disrupted by pH, environmental factors and skincare products, and how some probiotics and postbiotics may support barrier function.
