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Dark circles around the eyes have been linked to serious problems such as anemia, liver disease and dehydration.

Dark circles are a result of the thin layer of skin below your eyes showing the blood vessels and the blood they contain more clearly than anywhere else on your body.

Common reasons for dark circle:

Aging – The skin under the eyes is thin and delicate to begin with. As we grow older, skin around the eyes becomes thinner making blood vessels more prominent, causing dark circles.

Genetics – Hereditary and genetics can also play a big role in the development and dominance of dark circles around the eyes. The reason veins often look blue isn’t because the blood inside them is blue; it’s because your skin only lets blue/violet wavelengths of light pass through it. As a result, only blue light is reflected back and the veins look bluish. Veins often won’t appear blue if a person has darker or lighter skin. Rather, the veins tend to appear green or brown so depending on your skin color this can be a greater problem for you.

Dehydration – Dehydration is one of the most common reasons for dark circles under the eyes. The reason is the close proximity to the skin underneath the eye in relation to the underlying bone. Want to know if you are dehydrated? Look at the color of your urine – you want it to be a pale, pale yellow, if darker, then you need to drink more water.

Nutritional deficiency – A healthy and nutritious diet filled with vitamins like A, C, K, E and nutrients can help to get rid of dark circles. The more junk you eat the harder you liver has to work. Liver imbalances can cause dark circles under the eyes.

Sleep deprivation and tiredness – A lack of sleep or excessive tiredness results in pale skin, making blood under the skin become more visible and appear more blue or darker.

Smoking and drinking – Late night parties, smoking and drinking can play havoc with your skin and result in dark eye circles. This is partly because these activities dehydrate the body and cause toxicity.

Sun exposure – Increased exposure to the sun can draw pigmentation of the skin’s surface and create dark circles. Long sun exposure produces more melanin around eyes than usual, giving them a darker color. There are two main layers of skin, the outer layer of skin known as epidermis and inner layer known as dermis. When excess melanin is being made in the epidermis it appears brown, and when there is more than usual melanin in the dermis it looks blue or blue grey.

Hormonal changes – In women, the skin undergoes lots of changes during the phase of pregnancy, menstruation and menopause, causing darkening under the eyes. Also a lack of sleep during these times contributes to this situation.

Allergies – Any condition that causes the eyes to itch may contribute to darker circles due to rubbing or scratching the skin around them. Apart from that, some food allergies can also cause the area under the eyes to appear darker. In fact, dark circles in children often indicate allergy problems.

Anemia – Iron deficiency is one of the most common causes of inexplicable dark circles in many cases, which can be treated by making simple changes in your diet. Low iron levels is the most common form of anemia, and results in poor oxygenation in body tissues due to low supply of oxygenated blood. Thus, having a balanced diet, rich in green leafy vegetables, and fresh fruits will help your body be healthy.

Liver disease – Dark circles also indicate liver dysfunction due to various liver ailments. An example of such a liver ailment is hepatitis.