Dark circles typically arise 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 much thinner 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, the skin there is very sensitive and easily reveals pigmentation. Three categories of dark circles can be distinguished.
The bluish dark circles.
Quite common, they usually occur upon waking and intensify during periods of fatigue. Also known as vascular dark circles, they are associated with a poor blood and lymphatic circulation. As they accumulate, the blood pigments cause a bluish discolouration beneath the eyelids, particularly 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.
Brown under-eye circles.
Brown circles or pigmented circles are the result of an accumulation of melanin pigments under the eyes. This hyperpigmentation is often hereditary in origin and affects people with darker skin more. Pigmented circles can also form over time. Particularly thin, the eye contour area tends to let more solar radiation pass through. The melanocytes are thus significantly stimulated in this area and synthesise a large amount of melanin.
Hollow dark circles.
Also referred to as structural dark circles, this type of under-eye shadowing is characterised by a pronounced shadow and 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.