What Causes Dark Circles Under the Eyes — And What Can You Actually Do About Them?
Why Dark Circles Look Different on Medium and Deep Skin Tones
If you've spent time searching for answers about your under eye dark circles, you've probably noticed that most advice is written with lighter skin tones in mind. The purple-toned circles that feature in stock photos and product adverts? That's not always what dark circles look like on us.
On medium to deep skin tones, dark circles often appear as deep brown, ashy grey, or blue-black shadows beneath the eyes. They can look flat or hollow, patchy or diffuse. And the reason they look that way matters — because what causes dark circles under the eyes isn't always one single thing. It's usually a combination of three distinct factors: pigmentation, shadows, and blood vessels.
Understanding which of those is driving yours changes everything about how you approach them.
Cause One: Excess Pigmentation (the Most Common Culprit for Darker Skin Tones)
Melanin is what gives our skin its beautiful depth — but it also means our skin is more reactive. When the under-eye area experiences inflammation, friction, or irritation, melanocytes (the cells that produce pigment) go into overdrive. The result is post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation in the delicate skin beneath your eyes.
This type of dark circles causes a flat, evenly pigmented darkening that doesn't shift much when you tilt your head or look up. It tends to sit right on the surface of the skin and often runs in families, which explains why some of us have had it since childhood.
Common triggers include:
- Rubbing your eyes — even gently, even regularly
- Allergies that make you itch and rub
- Contact dermatitis from skincare or makeup products
- Sun exposure (the under-eye skin is thin and vulnerable)
- Hormonal changes, including pregnancy and the pill
This kind of pigmentation-driven under eye dark circles can improve over time with consistent, targeted skincare — but patience is genuinely required. We're talking months, not weeks.
Cause Two: Shadows From Hollowing or Eye Bags
This one is structural rather than skin-deep. As we age, fat pads beneath the eyes can shift, and collagen production slows. This creates a tear trough — a sunken groove between the lower lid and the cheek — which casts a shadow and makes the area look darker even when there's no actual pigment change at all.
You can test whether shadows are the issue by standing in front of a mirror with a torch or phone light held directly below your face. If the darkness seems to lighten or disappear when the shadow is removed, structure — not pigment — is your primary concern.
Puffiness can also cast shadows. Fluid accumulation under the eyes from sleep position, salt intake, or allergies creates a raised ridge that throws the area beneath into shade.
Skincare can support skin quality around the eyes, but structural shadowing generally responds better to lifestyle adjustments (more on this below) or, in more significant cases, to cosmetic treatments. It's worth being honest with yourself about this — no serum reverses bone structure changes.
Cause Three: Visible Blood Vessels
The skin beneath the eyes is some of the thinnest on your entire body. In lighter complexions, this often shows up as a blue or purple tint from the blood vessels beneath. In deeper skin tones, visible vascularity tends to read as a red-brown or dusky discolouration rather than blue.
When you're tired, dehydrated, or unwell, blood vessels dilate and become more visible through that thin skin. This is the version of dark circles that genuinely does get worse with a bad night's sleep — and can genuinely improve with hydration and rest.
Vascular dark circles often look slightly different from multiple angles. Gently stretching the skin sideways is another test: if the colour doesn't change or spreads with the skin rather than diffusing, it's likely pigment. If it seems to blur or shift, vessels may be playing a bigger role.
What Causes Dark Circles Under the Eyes — A Realistic Summary
For most women of colour, dark circles are caused by a mix of all three factors, with excess pigmentation playing the leading role. That's important to acknowledge, because it means:
- Skincare can genuinely help — but it works on pigmentation, not on bone structure or blood vessels
- Ingredient choice matters (look for niacinamide, vitamin C, kojic acid, and alpha arbutin in your eye-area products)
- SPF is non-negotiable — UV exposure directly worsens pigmentation-driven dark circles
- Lifestyle factors like sleep quality, hydration, and allergy management all contribute
- Consistency over weeks and months beats intensity over a few days
Lifestyle Adjustments That Actually Move the Needle
Before reaching for another product, it's worth addressing what causes dark circles under the eyes at their root. Some of the most effective changes are free:
- Sleep with your head slightly elevated to reduce fluid pooling overnight
- Treat allergies — antihistamines can reduce the urge to rub your eyes
- Wear SPF every day, including the under-eye area (yes, really)
- Keep the area hydrated — dryness emphasises texture and discolouration
- Be gentle when removing makeup; tugging the eye area makes pigmentation worse over time
When Pigmentation Is Part of a Bigger Picture
Under eye dark circles are rarely isolated. If you're dealing with uneven skin tone, post-inflammatory marks, or hyperpigmentation elsewhere on your face and body, your skin may simply be more reactive overall. That calls for a broader approach — one that addresses your skin's tendency to overproduce pigment rather than targeting one area in isolation.
Ready to Take a More Targeted Approach?
If pigmentation is at the root of your dark circles — and for most women of colour, it is — the Like It On Top Hyperpigmentation Kit is a great place to start. It's built specifically for medium and deep skin tones, with a gentle but effective routine designed to address uneven tone, post-inflammatory pigmentation, and dullness across the face. Consistent, targeted, and made for skin like yours.