Ever look in the mirror and wonder when those pesky dark circles or bags beneath your eyes first appeared – and why they keep outstaying their welcome?
Most of us instinctively blame the usual suspects: too little sleep, not enough water, or the occasional extra glass (or two) of wine. But dermatologists say that only explains part of the story.
Tired-looking eyes rarely have a single cause – and they’re not always a sign you’ve done something wrong.
In reality, ‘tired eyes’ is a broad, catch-all term for several different changes happening under the skin. Some are linked to genetics and natural skin structure, while others are driven by lifestyle, allergies or the normal ageing process.
What matters most when treating tired eyes, skincare experts say, is knowing which type you have.
The real cause of dark circles
If you’ve noticed stubborn dark circles under your eyes, it’s tempting to blame poor sleep. Maybe you assume you’re not getting the recommended seven to nine hours – or that even when you do, it’s not enough to make up for years of late nights.
In reality, however, genetics is often the bigger factor. For starters, it’s your DNA that helps determine how thin the skin around your eyes is – a delicate region known as the periorbital area – as well as how much pigment sits beneath it.
Because the skin in the periorbital area is naturally thinner than elsewhere on the face, the underlying skin pigment shows through more easily.
People who produce more melanin – the pigment that gives skin its colour – are therefore more likely to see darker shadows beneath the eyes. Thinner skin and more visible blood vessels can intensify the effect, making dark circles more noticeable regardless of how well someone sleeps.
“We see this run in families,” says Dr Stefanie Williams, dermatologist and medical director of EUDELO Dermatology & Skin Wellbeing. “If your parents have dark circles, you’re more likely to develop them too.
“More melanin creates darker skin tones, and excess pigment under the eyes may have brown or black hues. When this is significant, it’s called periorbital hyperpigmentation.
“Certain ethnicities, such as South Asian, African and Mediterranean people, tend to be most commonly affected.”
The shape of your face matters too. Higher cheekbones or stronger mid-face support can help prop up the skin beneath the eyes, while flatter cheekbones or less underlying structure allow the skin to sink, making shadows and hollows more noticeable.
The prominence of the eye socket itself can also affect how light falls across the area, exaggerating the appearance of bags or darkness.
Then there’s the tear trough, the natural hollow that runs between the lower eyelid and the cheek. Some of us naturally have deeper (and thereby more visible) tear troughs, which can cast a shadow under our eyes.
While not a sign of fatigue, this facial feature can become more noticeable over your lifetime. “As we age, we lose collagen, resulting in the skin becoming less elastic. When this happens, the skin becomes lax and can make these tear troughs look more prominent and give the appearance of bags,” Williams says.
“The natural ‘fat pads’, or ‘cushioning’ below our eye sockets, are among the first in our body to thin as we get older.”
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‘Allergic shiners’
In short, when it comes to dark circles, you’re often better off blaming your parents – and the slow march of time – than any lifestyle failings. But your genetics might not tell the whole story. For some people, allergies are the real culprit hiding in plain sight.
“Those prone to pollen allergies, dust allergies or periorbital eczema will know that these allergies will irritate the mucosal surface of the eyes,” explains consultant dermatologist Dr Angela Tewari. “But allergies can also irritate the skin around the eyes.”
That’s because allergies trigger the release of histamine, the same chemical responsible for itching and inflammation. The result? Rubbing and scratching the delicate under-eye area, which only inflames the skin further.
“In response to this inflammation, the body can produce more melanin as a protective mechanism,” Tewari adds.
“Once the allergy flare-up settles, this extra pigment can remain, leaving the skin around the eyes looking darker.”
Sinus congestion linked to allergies can exaggerate the effect further. “Blood vessels around the eyes may dilate and swell if you have sinus issues,” says Williams.
“This can lead to leakage of red blood cell breakdown products, known as hemosiderin, which creates a purplish discolouration under the eyes.”
This can lead to what some doctors call ‘allergic shiners’: bluish or purplish shadows under the eyes that are particularly noticeable in people with paler or thinner skin, and those with more visible blood vessels.
This means that if dark circles don’t run in your family, it may be worth speaking to your doctor, as an undiagnosed allergy could be driving the issue.
The puffiness problem
If your dark circles come with puffiness or a sunken look under the eyes, we’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is that they’re unlikely to be genetically determined, which means you have a fair amount of control over them.
The bad news? You may need to look a little closer at your own habits, particularly diet and, most of all, sleep.
“Sleep is a process in which our skin recovers from the day,” consultant dermatologist Dr Derrick Phillips explains.
“A lack of sleep results in a reduced flow of the lymphatics, which are the vessels that drain fluid from the face.”
In simple terms, poor sleep slows the face’s natural drainage system, allowing fluid to collect under the eyes overnight.
Spending hours lying flat makes this more likely, as gravity no longer helps fluid drain away from the face. That’s why puffiness often looks worst first thing in the morning, before gradually easing as you get up and move around.
That’s something that’s going to happen even after a good night’s sleep – but sleep quality matters too. Fragmented or shortened sleep can disrupt hormones involved in fluid balance and inflammation, making swelling more noticeable and slower to fade.
Alcohol can make the effect more obvious. After a night of drinking – particularly if it’s paired with salty snacks like nuts or olives – fluid is more likely to hang around in the tissues beneath the eyes, giving them a swollen, heavy appearance.
“Excess alcohol and a high salt diet can dehydrate you,” Phillips says. “It can make your eyes feel more sunken, because you have less fluid around your eyes. Alcohol also impacts the quality of your sleep.”
The result is a double hit: fluid retention that causes puffiness, combined with dehydration and disrupted sleep that can leave the under-eye area looking dull and fatigued.
The upside is that puffy eyes are usually very responsive to treatment. Consistent sleep, good hydration and moderating alcohol can all make a visible difference over time, but there are also quicker fixes for mornings when your reflection looks a little worse for wear.
Phillips suggests using a cold compress for around 10 minutes in the morning. Cooling the area causes blood vessels to constrict, which helps bring swelling down – much like using a bag of frozen peas on a sprained ankle.
Then there are the cosmetic fixes. While no eye cream can replace lifestyle changes, some products can make tired eyes look noticeably better in the short term. Well, if they contain the right ingredients…
The best eye cream formulas
Skincare products might not tackle the underlying causes of dark circles, but they can influence how you look day-to-day.
Take caffeine, for example. A common ingredient in eye creams designed to perk up tired-looking skin, it works by temporarily narrowing blood vessels beneath the eyes, which can make dark shadows less obvious.
“When vessels around the eye are constricted, it reduces blood flow, minimising blood pooling in that area. But caffeine will help prevent that purplish tint and help for a brighter appearance,” explains Phillips.
Caffeine-based creams also have a mild diuretic effect, meaning they can help reduce puffiness caused by fluid build-up under the eyes. As Williams explains, they can “help with circulation and flush any excess fluids or water, helping with lymphatic drainage.”
This drainage system acts like the face’s waste-removal network, clearing away excess fluid that would otherwise linger beneath the eyes. “This reduces the appearance of swollen, tired eyes,” says Williams.
A quick scroll through your social feed will reveal no shortage of dark-circle miracle fixes, the weirdest of which: haemorrhoid cream. Currently touted by several influencers on TikTok (where else?), many users have claimed it’s a godsend for dark circles.
While sounding odd – and, let’s face it, really gross – Williams says there is some science behind the claim. Well, a sliver of it.
“These creams often contain vitamin K derivatives,” she explains. Vitamin K can help strengthen fragile blood vessels under the eyes, reducing the dark, bruise-like discolouration they can leave behind. It may also dampen inflammatory signalling in the skin, helping to calm irritation.
The good news is that you don’t need to smear haemorrhoid cream on your face or elsewhere to reap its benefits. Instead, Williams recommends looking for eye creams that contain vitamin K, which often comes paired with hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid to help plump and moisturise the delicate under-eye skin.
If you’re looking to tackle dark circles in particular, Tewari recommends looking in the ingredients list for niacinamide (also known as vitamin B3), which works by preventing melanin from moving into the skin cells, resulting in less visible hyperpigmentation.
Creams containing vitamin C can also prevent darkened skin under the eyes. “It suppresses a key enzyme in pigment production called tyrosinase,” Phillips explains, which means less pigment is produced in the first place and existing dark areas are less likely to deepen over time.
For more stubborn pigmentation, stronger options are available. “If you’re looking for something really heavy-duty, look for thiamidol as an ingredient – that’s a more potent suppressor of tyrosinase.”
Then there’s retinol, a form of vitamin A. It works firstly by effectively exfoliating dull, pigmented skin cells to reveal brighter, healthier skin underneath.
Retinol also helps improve skin firmness and elasticity, effectively reinforcing the skin’s natural scaffolding.
“Retinol becomes retinoic acid in the skin, which then stimulates collagen-producing cells,” Tewari says. “It also decreases the number of collagen production inhibitors.”
Over time, this can soften the appearance of deeper tear troughs and make the under-eye area look smoother and less hollow.
However, none of these ingredients present a quick fix. As Williams points out, topical treatments need to be used regularly and consistently to have any lasting effect on the appearance of under-eye circles.
Some ingredients, such as retinol, can irritate the delicate skin around the eyes when used at higher concentrations, so it’s best to start slowly and build up over time. And if you’re unsure which products are right for you, or notice irritation, it’s worth speaking to your doctor or dermatologist for advice.
For some people, dark circles remain stubborn even after months of consistent skincare. In those cases, it may be worth speaking to a dermatologist about more intensive treatment options. While there are medical and surgical procedures that can reduce eye bags, these are generally considered a last resort and should only be pursued under the guidance of a qualified professional.
We’ll let you in on an annoying secret now, though. Ask a skincare professional how best to deal with tired-looking eyes and you’ll often hear the same, slightly frustrating but very accurate answer: prevention works better than any fix.
For Phillips, that starts with protecting your skin from the Sun. “Always wear an SPF, particularly around the sensitive eye area,” he says. “Sun exposure is the thing that accelerates how our skin ages. You may want to consider wearing sunglasses, even on cold days, to add an extra layer of protection.”
Tewari agrees that prevention is key. “It may sound obvious, but making sure you regularly get a good night’s sleep, follow a fairly consistent, balanced diet, and keep on top of a good skincare routine, all will help your skin look its freshest and best.”
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