Circles Under The Eyes

When we see people who have circles under their eyes, we are likely to assume the circles are due to lack of sleep or possibly as hangover. But that is not always the case. Many of us are plagued with these unsightly signs even when we get our eight hours.

Indeed, dark circles may be something most of us can legitimately blame on our parents. We are all thin-skinned underneath our eyes, but some of us inherit thinner, paler, and more transparent skin than others. The thinner, ligher, and more transparent the skin, the greater the likelihood of our having bluish-tinged blood vessels around our eyes. Other factors may also come into play. For example, dark circles can be a telltale sign of a woman's hormonal status. Many women become paler during meantruation or pregnancy, causing the blood vessels under their eyes to become more visible. And some medications such as aspirin, coumadin, and other blood tinners can dilate the blood vessels underneath the eyes, making blood vessels and circles more evident.

Circles under the eyes can also signal some underlying medical conditions, the most common of which are Eczema (a skin condition characterized by dry and itchy skin) and Allergies. In fact, dark circles are often called "allergic shiners." Allergies cause blood veins to become congested and blood to pool under the eyes. When they rub their eyes, they can injure and bruise the delicate tissue beneath them, causing further darkening.

Dark circles can also be a red flag that you have been doing too much sunbathing. We all know that excess sun exposure causes the skin to redden or darken; the skin around our eyes is no exception.

You may think you are getting healthy glow from lying out in the sun. But too much sun cannot only give you circles under your eyes, it greatly increases your risk of cataracts and skin cancer.