Why does tiredness cause black eyes

Other than causing uncomfortable symptoms — including itchiness, redness, and puffy eyes — histamines also cause your blood vessels to dilate and become more visible beneath your skin. Allergies can also increase your urge to rub and scratch the itchy skin around your eyes. These actions can worsen your symptoms, causing inflammation, swelling, and broken blood vessels.

This can result in dark shadows beneath your eyes. Dehydration is a common cause of dark circles under your eyes. When your body is not receiving the proper amount of water, the skin beneath your eyes begins to look dull and your eyes look sunken. This is due to their close proximity to the underlying bone. Overexposure to the sun can cause your body to produce an excess of melanin, the pigment that provides your skin with color.

Too much sun — particularly for your eyes — can cause pigmentation in the surrounding skin to darken. Family history also plays a part in developing dark circles under your eyes. It can be an inherited trait seen early in childhood, and may worsen as you age or slowly disappear.

Predispositions to other medical conditions — such as thyroid disease — can also result in dark circles beneath your eyes. Treatment for dark eye circles depends on the underlying cause.

However, there are some home remedies that can help manage this condition. Some of the more common methods include:. For a more effective and permanent solution, some medical treatments are available to reduce the appearance of dark circles.

Before deciding on any cosmetic procedure, discuss your options with a doctor. Invasive medical treatments can be expensive, painful, and often require a long recovery time. For many people, dark circles are temporary and are often an indication of aging or lack of sleep. Though there are a number of at-home and medical treatments available to improve the appearance of your eyes, dark circles are typically no cause for alarm.

However, if the discoloration or swelling worsens over time, schedule a visit with your doctor or dermatologist to ensure you have correctly diagnosed the issue and are receiving the best treatment. You can connect to a dermatologist in your area using the Healthline FindCare tool. People can make sure they are getting enough quality sleep each night to help reduce or prevent dark circles. Raising the head up on extra pillows may help reduce dark circles and swelling around the eyes. Applying cucumber slices to the eyes may soothe tired eyes and reduce swelling.

The high water and vitamin C content of cucumber may help to nourish and moisturize the skin. Cucumber also contains silica , which is essential for healthy tissue. Applying a cold compress to the eyes can constrict blood vessels and reduce the appearance of dark circles.

Tea bags may help lessen dark circles and puffiness under the eyes. Caffeine has antioxidant properties and stimulates blood circulation around the eyes. A person can boil two tea bags in water before letting them cool, then resting them on each eye.

Putting boiled tea bags in the fridge first can add a cooling effect for the eyes. People can use black, green, or herbal tea bags. Poor circulation around the eyes can cause the appearance of dark circles. Gentle massage around the eye area through a facial can help to improve circulation. Face creams and under-the-eye products that contain antioxidants may help to reduce the appearance of dark circles.

Vitamins E and C are antioxidants that may help treat dark circles. Although makeup will not alter dark circles, people may want to use an under-the-eye concealer for cosmetic purposes.

If home remedies do not get rid of dark circles under the eyes, a person can see their doctor or dermatologist for advice on medical treatment.

People may need to use hydroquinone for at least 3 months to see an effect. Anecdotal reports state kojic acid is effective in treating dark circles. Kojic acid is a natural product that comes from two species of fungi. However, it is important to know that side effects of kojic acid can include contact dermatitis and reddening of the skin.

People may use azelaic acid to treat hyperpigmentation under the eyes, and it is safe to use over long periods. The lotion was effective in lightening darkness under the eyes. Chemical peels, using alpha hydroxy acids, such as glycolic acid, can help to lighten hyperpigmentation under the eyes.

Laser therapy can be an effective treatment for dark circles. Less invasive laser procedures, such as pulsed dye or diode lasers, may lessen the risk of scarring or other potential side effects.

Moreover, some people are genetically prone to subluxation, the movement of fat from underneath the eyeball to the front of the eye. It's worth noting that a study published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery suggested that eye bags develop not from existing fat moving forward, but rather from an age-associated increase in fat beneath the eyeballs.

Either way, "when you have the fat moving forward, that's when people think about having surgery in that area," Clinton said. She added that subluxation is not related to how much sleep a person gets. In other words, a person can get 9 hours of sleep a night, but still have eye bags because of a genetic predisposition, Clinton said.

In other cases, environmental factors cause puffy eye bags. For instance, allergies — especially seasonal allergies — can cause capillaries to leak , Clinton said. When the body is exposed to allergens, it releases immune proteins known as histamines. These substances can cause blood vessels in and around the eyes to swell, she said. Getting too much sun can also damage and thin the skin, making dark circles under the eyes more visible, Clinton said.