Dark circles under the eyes / Causes and consequences

Why do dark circles under the eyes deepen over time? Why are dark circles colored and where does this coloring come from? Brown, bluish, purple or red circles? What’s the difference? Dr Bernard Hayot explains:
“Hollow circles result from a lack of subcutaneous fat, and are sometimes linked to facial aging, but sometimes they are hereditary. Blue or violet-colored circles, on the other hand, are linked to the transparency of the skin, which is too thin, revealing bluish micro veins. When I diagnose red circles under the eye, I know that they are generally linked to micro-capillaries located at the inner corner of the eye, and are even more visible when the lower eyelid is pulled down. Finally, brown circles are inherent to the patient’s ethnic origin. The phenotype of Indians, North Africans and Latinos is particularly conducive to the appearance of dark circles under the eyes.”
Dark circles are therefore not solely linked to fatigue, stress, anxiety or a poor lifestyle! Aesthetic doctors agree that permanent dark circles are caused by abnormal blood circulation that modifies lymphatic channels. Pigmented circles are therefore also linked to the blood vessels visible in the connective tissue.
Finally, alcohol and tobacco consumption are also thought to aggravate hollow circles and bags under the eyes.

Black or dark circles: The best treatment

The lower eyelid is a thin, fragile membrane, and when the eyes show dark, almost black circles, the face appears aged and tired. Dr. Hayot, eye surgeon, gives us his recommendations: “Dark circles are often accompanied by a loss of volume in the upper third of the face. Anti-dark circle creams don’t work. I prefer to prescribe medical cosmetology treatments and rely on aesthetic medicine to offer my patients a truly effective solution. Hyper-pigmented circles can be treated with the Amelan® depigmenting eye contour peel.

All about the Amelan peel

• Where to have a peel?
  The peel is performed at the Centre esthétique Paris.
• How long does a lightening peel last?
  One-hour treatment plan.
• How many sessions are required?
  Depigmenting peels are effective from the 3rd session onwards. The number of sessions varies according to the color of the dark circles and the indications of each patient.

Violet or blue circles: The best treatment

Thin skin, poor blood circulation and aging eyes are the main known causes of purple under-eye circles. “This type of ring is often accompanied by a pocket under the eye, and a puffy eyelid appearance,” says the cosmetic surgeon. Blue circles are often more apparent with sleep deprivation and hormonal changes.
As a preventive measure, this type of patient should avoid drugs and alcohol, and eat a healthy, light, low-salt diet to help the lymphatic system function properly and avoid bags under the eyes.
To permanently erase purple circles, the skin around the eyelids needs to be thickened. Several effective anti-dark circle solutions are available:

• Avene’s Correcteur Couvrance, insisting on the inner corner of the eye.
• Fractional laser sessions to thicken the dermis and reduce the visibility of venous capillaries.
• Aesthetic surgery: Remove the under-eye bag and fill in the dark circles with lipofilling to reduce the transparency effect.

Red circles: The best treatment

Red circles are very similar to purple/blue circles, and the most effective treatments for dark circles are equivalent:

• Covering make-up to brighten the eyes, focusing on the lower corner of the eye.
• KTP laser sessions in the expert hands of an aesthetic physician to reduce micro-capillaries and redness.
• Aesthetic surgery to remove dark circles using fat injections: everything you need to know about lipofilling

To find out more about the treatment of dark circles using aesthetic medicine, or for any cosmetic eyelid surgery procedure, make an appointment with Dr Bernard Hayot.

Frequently asked questions about dark circles

Dark circles and puffiness: what’s the difference?

The big difference between dark circles and bags is that a bag is a swelling and a dark circle is a hollow. The puffiness can be thought of as a mountain, and the dark circles as a valley. The treatment for puffiness and dark circles is therefore to remove the mountain and bring the valley up to “sea level”.

How to treat hollow circles?

Hollow circles are treated solely by microlipofilling, i.e. injection of the patient’s own fat.

Because the skin is so thin in this area, I never inject hyaluronic acid for three reasons:

• Hyaluronic acid will not reabsorb
• Over time, it will behave like a sponge and swell.
• It will be visible through virtually transparent skin, giving a bluish effect (Tyndall effect) that is completely unsightly.

In my opinion, the only treatment for hollow circles is micro lipostructure.

I’m convinced that it’s the nature of my work (always at night) that causes my dark circles. Should I treat them regularly? Laser or lipofilling?

It’s rarely the nature of the work that leads to dark circles. It’s more often weight loss, aging or genetics. If you’re very tired, you may experience blood stasis and a darker-than-usual coloring, but this is rarely due to the nature of your work. It is, of course, possible to remove a ring permanently by injecting one’s own fat.