Dark circles under the eyes may be related to cortisol deficiency. If your eyes are constantly dry or watering unexpectedly, it may be due to an inability to build the fatty layer of your tears. Proper production of tears has been shown to be influenced by testosterone, DHEA, progesterone, and the estrogen hormones.
Hormonal Changes – Hormonal changes in the body during menstruation, pregnancy or menopause can induce eye puffiness and dark circles.
Changes to skin around the eyes. Under-eye creping and wrinkles are attributable to estrogen deficiency, along with puffiness, fine lines and dark circles.
Have you ever wondered which hormone causes pigmentation? The underlying hormone responsible for triggering the melanocytes is melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH). This hormone increases the production of melanin, which is responsible for darkening your skin.
Estrogen and progesterone are two of the major factors responsible for catamenial hyperpigmentation of the skin. Generally, the changes happen in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle when the serum levels of sex hormones are at their peak.
A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study involving postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women who took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year found that those whose vitamin D blood levels increased the most had the greatest reductions in blood estrogens, which are a known risk factor for breast cancer.
It depends on your situation. Not all women need, want or are candidates for estrogen therapy. Estrogen can reduce menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. If you have a uterus, you'll likely need to take progesterone along with the estrogen.
Your body needs estrogen for your reproductive, cardiovascular and bone health. Too much estrogen, though, can cause irregular periods and may worsen conditions that affect your reproductive health.
Vitamin deficiencies, including vitamin B12, E, K and D, have been associated with dark circles.
Iron Deficiency
Deficiency of iron is one of the causative factors for dark circles. The veins located around the eye region become more visible if you lack iron in the body. It was revealed by a study that anaemia is one of the underlying health condition which is the reason behind 50% of the dark shadows.
Low estrogen levels can interfere with sexual development and sexual functions. They can also increase your risk for obesity, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease. Treatments have evolved over the years and become more effective.
Structural dark circles can worsen due to weight loss. Vascular dark circles are caused by the presence of vessels below the skin. Those who have more vessels (which are genetically determined) have a greater tendency to get these. Insomnia also makes vascular dark circles worse.
When cortisol levels increase, the amount of blood in the body increases. At this point, the blood vessels are forced to dilate to accommodate the excess blood. The skin under the eyes is quite thin, so the blood vessels under the skin are prominent, making dark circles more obvious.
In addition to the big issues of sleep and stress, factors such as hormonal imbalances and irritating food or dust allergies can lead to puffy under-eye bags, as can smoking cigarettes or excessive caffeine intake.
Vaginal oestrogen
It does not carry the usual risks of HRT and does not increase your risk of breast cancer, so you can use it without taking progestogen, even if you still have a womb.
Of course, in some cases you might take progesterone on its own without estrogen. For instance, some women use progesterone therapy during menopause when they cannot use estrogen. Bioidentical progesterone comes from plants like soy and wild yams. It's then made into a medication your body can metabolize.
Symptoms of high progesterone are similar to premenstrual syndrome and can include anxiety and agitation, bloating, breast swelling and tenderness, depression, fatigue, and weight gain.
Too little estrogen can lead to a low sex drive. Too much of it can cause infertility and erectile dysfunction. Excessive estrogen can cause gynecomastia, or enlarged breasts.