Dark Under Eyes

[Ydublee]

Hi,

So i'm 22 years old now, and ever since I can remember to about 12 or 13 I have always had severe dark circles under my eyes. My skin has always been very white and pale and many portions of my body I can see my veins in my arms, green, blue etc.

I have read on a lot of forums that under eye circles can be caused by dehydration, malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, sleep deprivation, etc.

For the record, I would like to say that I drink quite a bit of water daily and eat pretty good, I hardly eat out and I take a centrum multivitamin each day. I also workout about 5 times a week doing a little bit of something whether its running, pushups etc.

I have never had any sleep problems in my life, I have always done really well with getting 8 hours of sleep but on rare occassions I can't always live in that perfect world because of life circumstances, but it doesn't happen very often for me.

Also, I read that it could be related to allergies, but I rarely sneeze, cough or have any symptoms related to allergies. I know I have seasonal allergies but I've only seen it bother me in the spring when the mold count gets really high.

So I am wondering for the most part if there is something I am missing, or if my under eye circles are just heredity and what I can really do to improve my appearance, if I haven't already googled all my options. Please help because I feel the circles really destroy my appearance and self confidence.

[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.

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.

[Sarah367]

To quote: "
Also, I read that it could be related to allergies, but I rarely sneeze, cough or have any symptoms related to allergies. I know I have seasonal allergies but I've only seen it bother me in the spring when the mold count gets really high."

You do not have to sneeze or cough to have symptoms of allergies, those are just the most common. Allergies, or worse, Asthma, can cause severe stress on your body, which in turn lowers your immune system, which then can cause you to be tired all of the time, or just not get enough rest despite how much sleep you get.

As well, look at how late you stay up, how much time it takes for you to fall asleep, when do you wake up in the morning. Do you eat before going to bed? Do you take caffeine in any form? Has the doctor diagnosed you or someone in your family with a protein or sugar deficiency? What sort of exercise do you do?

(Please note these are questions for you to answer for yourself, I am not asking for an answer back.)

Mind, I am no medical expert, this is purely from experience. I have had dark circles under my eyes since elementary school but I have had other reasons for keeping them this long (I'm 22 now). I'll say only that it was enormous amounts of stress growing up that kept them.  I myself take melatonin to get me to sleep faster, and have a deeper rest.

Hope this helped.