Anemia or an iron deficiency can result in dark eye circles as not enough oxygen reaches the body's tissues. Liver problems can also be a cause. Any medications that make blood vessels dilate can cause eye circles to darken as well.
In most cases, dark eye circles are caused by blood pooling in the vessels that lie close to the skin's surface. The majority of the accumulated blood is deoxygenated (lacks oxygen) so it presents a bluish or purplish tint.
If you are deficient in iron, the supply of oxygen to the body tissues is hampered. This makes the skin appear paler, making your dark circles look more pronounced. Green vegetables, pumpkin seeds, lentils, and beans are some good sources of iron.
Aging, genetics, allergies, lack of sleep and dehydration can all cause dark circles under your eyes.
Dermatomyositis: This is an uncommon autoimmune disease that can cause a dark red or purple rash around your eyelids that may look like dark circles.
Dark circles under your eyes usually are not a sign of a medical problem. Dark circles under the eyes are usually caused by being tired. Sometimes, what appear to be dark circles under your eyes may merely be shadows cast by puffy eyelids or hollows under your eyes that develop as a normal part of aging.
Eye symptoms of low iron can include a pale coloring of the inside of the lower eyelids. In moderate or severe cases of iron deficiency anemia, the inside layer of the lower eyelid is very pale pink or yellow instead of red. Rather than low iron, one common cause of blurry vision is dry eye.
Dark circles eyes are an external manifestation of chronic liver disease, especially when liver function is impaired for a long time or people have liver edema, the longer the eyes appear dark circles.
Your iron and B12 status
Another common cause of dark under-eye circles is low iron and/or B12. This deficiency can result in poor oxygenation of bodily tissues and the effects of this are shown mostly under the eyes where pronounced, bluish veins are more visible.
Vitamin K – Vitamin K is one of the most commonly-used vitamins in skincare, especially in eye creams. This vitamin is specifically targeted to treat dark circles. When your body lacks Vitamin K, then capillaries begin to break around the eye area, which can further darken your eye area.
You may also find that low iron causes weight gain. There are a couple of reasons for this; firstly, your energy levels are low and so your exercise levels reduce; secondly, iron is essential for thyroid function, and an underactive thyroid will lead to weight gain.
A dull complexion can be a sign of a lack of Vitamin D. Your complexion may appear slightly grey, your skin not as plump or supple as usual, and you may also have darker under eye circles, this is because the skin needs Vitamin D for the skin cells to regenerate properly and remain healthy.
Why do I have bags under my eyes even though I get enough sleep? You may have bags under your eyes even though you get enough sleep due to aging, genetics, salty foods, smoking, or dehydration.
The liver is responsible for filtering toxins from the blood, and when it is unable to do so, it can result in a build-up of toxins in the body. This can lead to dark circles under the eyes and other symptoms such as fatigue and weakness.
Iron deficiency and anemia
It is usually due to a lack of iron in the diet. With anemia, blood cells are unable to carry enough oxygen to the body's tissues — including those under the eyes. This can result in dark eye circles, Green says.
Blue sclera is a common and useful finding of iron deficiency but is often overlooked. In 1908, Sir William Osler first described a blue discoloration of the sclera as a symptom of anemia in young girls and wrote that the eyes “have a peculiar brilliancy and the sclerotics are of a bluish color”.
When you're stressed, blood is provided to other parts of your body, barring the face, which makes it look very pale. This causes the blood vessels underneath your eye to be more apparent, eventually giving birth to dark circles.
The most common causes of dark circles under the eyes are lack of sleep and genetics. Dark circles under the eyes can also be caused by allergies, excessive alcohol consumption, and aging. More serious medical conditions like anemia or iron deficiency may also be causing your dark circles.
Crohn's disease can cause dark circles under the eyes, which can make the eyes appear tired and worn-out. Dark circles can result from inflammation and swelling in the tissues around the eyes, as well as from lack of sleep and nutritional deficiencies that are common in people with Crohn's disease.