What causes the skin under the eye to be darker?

Answer 1

HEREDITY
Like varicose veins, dark circles under the eyes are usually an inherited trait. If you have dark circles, there is a good chance that others in your family also have them. The skin under the eye is very thin. When blood passes through the large veins close to the surface of the skin it can produce a bluish tint. The more transparent your skin, also an inherited trait, the darker the circles appear.

EXPOSURE TO THE SUN
Even in darker skinned people, exposure to sunlight, especially during the summer months, can cause a higher-than-normal level of skin pigmentation (melanin) under the eyes. People get sun tans because exposure to the sun increases the natural pigmentation of the skin and draws that pigmentation to the surface. The same principle applies to the skin under the eyes.

ALLERGIES, ASTHMA and ECZEMA
Any condition that you have that causes your eyes to itch can contribute to darker circles under the eyes because rubbing or scratching the skin can darken the skin. Hay fever sufferers particularly will notice under-eye "smudges" during the height of the allergy season. Some food allergies can also cause the area under the eyes to appear darker.

MEDICATIONS
Any medications that you are taking that causes blood vessels to dilate, can cause circles under the eyes to darken. Because the skin under the eyes is very delicate, any increase blood flow shows through the skin.

NUTRITION
The lack of nutrients in the diet, or the lack of a balance diet, can contribute to the discoloration of the area under the eyes.

FATIGUE, LACK OF SLEEP
A lack of sleep or excessive tiredness can cause paleness of the skin, which again allows the blood underneath the skin to become more visible and appear more blue or darker.

PREGNANCY and MENSTRUATION
The skin can also become more pale during pregnancy and menstruation, which again allows the underlying veins under the eyes to become more visible.

AGE
If you have a propensity to have dark circles under you eyes, as you grow older, they are likely to become more noticeable and permanent. Excess folds of skin under the eyes will also make dark circles more pronounced.

Answer 2

If you have dark skin it's just your coloring, but if the circles are blueish or green, or bruised looking then it's actually stagnent blood. To get your blood moving, do some toe-touches in the AM. Also several eye creams have caffiene in them and that shrinks the blood vessels down so blood can't flow through. (Do the toe-touches first to move the blood, then the cream to cut off more blood. Getting enough sleep will help, drink lots of water and no caffiene. (It doesn't help on the inside, just the outside!)

Answer 3

The skin under the eyes is thinner and therefore it is easier to see the blood vessels that flow beneath the skin.

Answer 4

The dark area under the eye could be due to low iron!

Answer 5

Lack of sleep, it makes bags under ur eyes.

Answer 6

It is the thinnest piece of skin onyour body so the blood becomes more visible

Answer 7

the skin under your eyes is very delicate and thin. it possibly is showing more blood. just a guess

Answer 8

If this is a new condition, you might try a pregnancy test. Are you growing a fine line of pubic hair up to your belly button as well?

Answer 9

lack of sleep is one but it can occur as a result of your nutritional value your intake that can be as a result of the darkening plus you have many creams to clear it off or to help it

Answer 10

When your dad tells you to be quite and you keep talking. It might swell a little too.