Why do we get darkness and puffiness under the eyes?

Whether it’s the result of a long night out with friends, a crying baby, or chronic insomnia, insomnia has obvious consequences for our bodies. In addition to feeling tired and having a strong desire to drink coffee, lack of sleep can cause us to look at dark and puffy circles under our eyes with displeasure. Some people are so upset by these dark circles and puffiness under the eyes that they resort to extreme methods such as moisturizers, chemical peels or even skin whitening agents to remove them.

However, puffiness under the eyes and dark circles are two distinct phenomena with different causes. Edema that causes puffiness is usually the result of environmental factors such as lack of sleep or excessive salt consumption. But dark circles are influenced by the structure of the face more than anything else; So even if a person gets enough and deep sleep every night, they may still retain their dark circles.

Accurately knowing the causes of puffiness and darkness under the eyes can determine whether they need treatment or whether they should be considered a natural part of the diversity of human faces.

Why is the subject of puffiness under the eyes important to us?

The skin under the eyes plays a role beyond its size in conveying subtle social cues. Darkness in this area can inadvertently induce certain mental or physical conditions, such as fatigue, illness, sleepiness, apathy, or even serious diseases such as cancer or liver disorders, explains Tanoj Nakra, an eyelid and periophthalmic plastic surgeon at the University of Texas Medical School in Austin.

However, this is not always the case. Many young and healthy people with enough sleep still have dark circles under their eyes. To understand why this is the case, we need to refer to the layers below the skin, i.e. muscles and bones. At the lower edge of the eye socket, there is a very important ligament called the orbicularis ligament (ORL), which holds the skin under the eye in place. According to Nakra, some people are naturally born with a firmer, more prominent ORL, which makes the ligament more visible under the skin and makes dark circles more visible.

Another cause of darkness is the inherent thin and light skin around the eyes; A factor that causes the orbicularis muscle, which is placed around the eye like the frame of sunglasses and is responsible for blinking, to be visible from under the skin. The darkness of this muscle can be seen directly through the skin in such conditions.

How does lack of sleep cause puffiness under the eyes?

The natural stiffness of the ORL, light and thin skin, and the visibility of the orbicularis muscle are characteristics that may be genetically inherited and cause dark circles. However, these hereditary glooms are often mistakenly equated with the consequences of lack of sleep or health problems.

Eating a very salty meal or spending a night without enough sleep can cause our face to undergo subtle changes due to edema, or swelling caused by fluid accumulation. Under the skin of the face, a complex network of veins and arteries flows like a delta that delivers oxygen to the tissues. According to Nakra, the walls of these arteries are slightly permeable and fluids can leak from them into the surrounding tissues. This accumulation of fluid aggravates puffiness under the eyes and makes the natural darkness of the skin appear more prominent.

Lack of sleep is not the only environmental cause of puffiness. There is a layer of fat between the outer skin and the ligaments. Severe malnutrition can cause the loss of this fat layer, resulting in the underlying ligaments becoming more prominent and dark circles appearing more obvious.

In addition, the natural aging process also thins the skin and reduces facial fat and firmness, which can make both puffiness and dark circles under the eyes more visible.

Darkness may also be caused by hyperpigmentation; A condition in which some areas of the skin become darker than others. Melanocytes determine our skin color by producing melanin. Nakara explains that inflammations around the eyes, exposure to the sun and skin irritations can increase melanin and cause darkening. Therefore, people with darker skin are at a higher risk of developing dark circles caused by melanin.

In rare cases, chemical damage to red blood cells and the release of iron-rich hemocytrin can cause dark circles under the eyes. Conditions such as chronic venous insufficiency, in which damaged veins are unable to return blood to the heart, may cause hemocytrin to accumulate in the undereye area. This color change due to chronic diseases or injuries can also occur in other parts of the body.

How to deal with puffiness under the eyes?

If puffiness or darkness under the eyes is a sign of an underlying disease, Nakra believes that these symptoms can be valuable for diagnosis and subsequent treatment. Lifestyle changes can help reduce puffiness. In addition, you can use eye creams containing substances such as caffeine, which reduce blood flow in the skin around the eyes and reduce swelling.

If the dark circles are caused by the inherent structure of the face, the options become more limited. Thin skin can be covered with concealer, and some expensive creams contain ingredients that change the way light passes through the skin and reduce the darkness caused by underlying muscle tone. But in many cases, the only solution is to accept the natural and different features of your face.

So, the next time you wake up in the morning and look in the mirror, remember that puffiness and dark circles under the eyes can be a natural part of your facial features, just like freckles or moles.