Dark Under Eye Circles

Today I went to the doctor and asked about dark under eye circles. He told me he needs to take a test to determine what is the cause. He scraped off some skin on the right side of the eye and told me to come back in a week. I wanted to ask is there such a test, if so what would he determine from it? I paid 480$ to have this done. Is that too much? This is a new doctor I never been to.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Dark circles under the eyes can be hereditary and thus if it runs in the family, very little can be done. Vitamin B6 (Niacin) & folic acid deficiency can also lead to this problem and thus can be taken. Some allergens can also give rise to the same and thus need to be avoided. Lack of adequate sleep can also result in dark circles and thus advised to take adequate sleep. Apply cool tea bags, an ice cube wrapped in soft cloth, or cucumber slices to your eyes daily. Apply an eye cream containing vitamin K and retinol. Eat a healthy, balanced diet, take vitamins, and drink plenty of water and avoid smoking.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.