What are the Reasons for Black under Eyes?

The dark circles under your eyes, the black under eyes, are not solely due to lack of sleep as is so commonly assumed. They are the reflection of your inner health and mental state. Lack of sleep, staying up late or watching endless TV are some of the often repeated excuses. Black under eyes can be caused due to lack of proper nutrition, reaction to certain medication, stress, anemia or even could be hereditary.

The skin around the eyes is the thinnest on our body. There are no oil glands, and the area is made up of a network of fine blood capillaries that ensure blood flow to these sensitive areas. When the blood, which has leaked out of these capillaries, breaks down, it releases the blue-black color components that result in the black under eye.

Reasons for black under eyes

The most commonly cited reason for the black under eyes is the lack of sleep and fatigue. The fast-paced lifestyle, meeting deadlines, late nights, excessive TV or computer time, all take a toll on the body. So, the skin becomes pale, enabling the blood to become visible under the skin.

Moreover, what we eat affects our metabolism and health. Specially, lack of a balanced diet may results in deficiencies of vital vitamins and minerals in the body.  Iron deficiency, or anemia, is known to cause dark circles under the eyes. As the skin becomes pale, the veins start showing from under the skin creating ‘bruise marks’. (The dark circles sometimes look like bruises because of the blue-black tint).

Dark circles can also be inherited. Even if you sleep well, eat well and are healthy, you can still get bruise marks under your eyes if it is in the family. People who have pale skin are more prone to having dark circles under the eyes as the skin there is thinner and more translucent. A bluish tint is created when the blood is flowing around the eyes, making the skin look darker than the rest of the face. In case of deep-set bone structure, the eyes get shadowed making the areas around them look darker. Black under eyes becomes more prominent with age. With time, the collagen in the skin becomes thin and opaque. This allows the veins to be seen around the eyes, making the area darker.

We see distinct dark circles under the eyes when someone is not keeping well or is under medication. Some medicines may cause anemia like conditions, or even dilate the blood vessels, which could result in black under eyes. Also, some aliments cause excessive watering of the eyes or irritation in the eyes. Constant itching, rubbing or cleaning of the eyes can cause dark circles as it increases the blood flow to those areas. Moreover, allergic reactions irritating the sensitive skin around the eyes can be one of the causes for the dark circles.

Sometimes the problem is deep within, something that doesn’t get detected easily, like the condition of the liver. The dysfunction of the liver can cause a host of health problems, and the symptoms could include black under eyes.