Dark circles: causes, skin care, and treatment options

Editorial responsibility: My Best Version. About MBV · Sources, review and corrections (Portuguese).

English guides · About MBV · Português

You may sleep well and still see darkness under your eyes. Before changing eye creams, ask whether you are seeing pigment in the skin, vessels visible through thin skin, or a shadow produced by facial contours. Those mechanisms may coexist and call for different approaches.¹

What causes dark circles?

Dark circles describe an appearance rather than one diagnosis. Melanin, visible vessels, and shadows associated with the tear trough or tissue laxity can contribute. Heredity, dermatitis, rubbing, and swelling may also play a role.¹

Pigment-related darkness may appear predominantly brown; vascular components may look bluish, pink, or purple; structural shadows depend on contours and lighting. These are possible clues, not a reliable way to diagnose the cause from a selfie.¹

Sleep deprivation can influence facial appearance in experimental research, but that finding does not mean every dark circle is caused by insufficient sleep—or that the photograph reveals how someone feels.²

Start with tolerability and a clear goal

An irritated eyelid needs assessment before adding more active ingredients. Contact dermatitis can be associated with products used around the eyes, and rubbing can aggravate the area. Avoid interpreting persistent burning or scaling as proof that a product is working.³

Choose skin care for the problem you are trying to address. Photoprotection and suitable moisturizing care can support a routine, but they should not be marketed as a substitute for correcting a structural contour. General product-selection guidance is different from a trial showing that one cream treats a particular cause of dark circles.⁴

What can eye-cream ingredients do?

A review of popular eye-cream ingredients discusses the evidence and its limitations. A plausible mechanism does not establish the effectiveness of every product containing that ingredient; formulation, testing, and the outcome measured matter.⁵

Niacinamide research has investigated pigmentation and melanosome transfer. Such evidence should not automatically be extrapolated to every type of under-eye darkness.⁶ Vitamin C has also been studied specifically in the lower-eyelid area, but results from a particular study do not establish that all vitamin C products give equivalent effects.⁷

An investigation of an eye pad combining caffeine, vitamin K, and an emu-oil base cannot isolate caffeine’s contribution or establish the effectiveness of every caffeine eye cream.⁸ Read the tested formulation and outcomes, not only the ingredient name.

Retinol and other retinoids are not interchangeable products. Tolerability, formulation, and appropriate use require attention, especially near the eyes. Do not choose a strong active or a combination on the basis of an illustrative image.⁹

When cosmetics are not enough

A systematic review of periorbital hyperpigmentation treatments discusses different approaches, but the evidence does not support treating all dark circles in the same way. The underlying mechanism remains central to the decision.¹⁰

For some structural concerns, hyaluronic-acid injections have been investigated. A systematic review and meta-analysis concerns tear-trough deformity; it must not be read as evidence that filler is suitable for all dark circles.¹¹ Swelling, irregularities, and other adverse effects must be part of the discussion.

Ocular complications following cosmetic periocular hyaluronic-acid injections have been documented in a systematic review. These reports demonstrate serious potential harm; they do not provide a personalized risk estimate from a photograph. Eye pain or changes in vision after an aesthetic injection require immediate medical attention.¹²

What does reduced darkness change visually?

A reduction in pigment or shadow may change the impression of the eye region. Our synthetic comparisons illustrate that idea; they do not measure the effect of a real treatment, prove efficacy, or establish that someone is more energetic or healthier.

Compare the eye region within the wider face in facial harmony. A change in shadow, eyebrow shape, and skin appearance can affect different aspects of the visual reading.

Questions to ask at a consultation

What is causing the appearance? Are several mechanisms present? What can the proposed option realistically change? What are the alternatives, risks, expected time course, and signs that require reassessment? The option of not intervening should remain available.

Frequently asked questions

Do men and women need different creams?

The main considerations are causes, skin characteristics, tolerability, and goals. A product’s gender label is not a diagnosis or evidence of effectiveness for your concern.

Does a before-and-after establish effectiveness?

A real comparison needs information about the intervention, timing, photography, and evaluation. An AI simulation is explanatory only.

When should I seek assessment?

Seek advice for a recent or persistent change, irritation, uncertainty about the cause, or before considering a procedure. Eye symptoms after an injection may require urgent care.³,¹²

Return to the English guides or read what facial-attractiveness studies measure. MBV’s visual analysis does not diagnose the cause of dark circles.

References

1. Sarkar R, Ranjan R, Garg S, Garg VK, Sonthalia S, Bansal S. Periorbital hyperpigmentation: a comprehensive review. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2016;9(1):49–55. Full text.

2. Sundelin T, Lekander M, Kecklund G, Van Someren EJW, Olsson A, Axelsson J. Cues of fatigue: effects of sleep deprivation on facial appearance. Sleep. 2013;36(9):1355–1360. doi:10.5665/sleep.2964. Full text.

3. Ryder E. Eyelid contact dermatitis. DermNet. 2014 [accessed 02 Oct 2026]. Clinical guidance.

4. American Academy of Dermatology Association. How to select anti-aging skin care products [Internet]. [accessed 02 Oct 2026]. Institutional guidance.

5. Hamie H, Yassine R, Shoukfeh R, Turk D, Huq F, Moossavi M. A review of the efficacy of popular eye cream ingredients. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2024;10(2):e156. doi:10.1097/JW9.0000000000000156. Full text.

6. Hakozaki T, Minwalla L, Zhuang J, Chhoa M, Matsubara A, Miyamoto K, et al. The effect of niacinamide on reducing cutaneous pigmentation and suppression of melanosome transfer. Br J Dermatol. 2002;147(1):20–31. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2133.2002.04834.x. PubMed abstract.

7. Ohshima H, Mizukoshi K, Oyobikawa M, Matsumoto K, Takiwaki H, Kanto H, et al. Effects of vitamin C on dark circles of the lower eyelids: quantitative evaluation using image analysis and echogram. Skin Res Technol. 2009;15(2):214–217. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0846.2009.00356.x. Publisher abstract.

8. Ahmadraji F, Shatalebi MA. Evaluation of the clinical efficacy and safety of an eye counter pad containing caffeine and vitamin K in emulsified Emu oil base. Adv Biomed Res. 2015;4:10. doi:10.4103/2277-9175.148292. Full text.

9. American Academy of Dermatology Association. Retinoid or retinol? [Internet]. 2021 [accessed 02 Oct 2026]. Institutional guidance.

10. Michelle L, Pouldar Foulad D, Ekelem C, Saedi N, Atanaskova Mesinkovska N. Treatments of periorbital hyperpigmentation: a systematic review. Dermatol Surg. 2021;47(1):70–74. doi:10.1097/DSS.0000000000002484. PubMed abstract.

11. Liu X, Gao Y, Ma J, Li J. The efficacy and safety of hyaluronic acid injection in tear trough deformity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2024;48(3):478–490. doi:10.1007/s00266-023-03613-7. PubMed abstract.

12. Mortada H, Seraj H, Barasain O, Bamakhrama B, Alhindi NI, Arab K. Ocular complications post-cosmetic periocular hyaluronic acid injections: a systematic review. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2022;46(2):760–773. doi:10.1007/s00266-021-02730-5. PubMed abstract.

Educational information. This English edition is an editorial adaptation of the Portuguese guide, retaining the cited sources and their limitations. External specialist review has not been attributed. For corrections, contact contato@mybestversion.com.br.