By Nurse Kylie

Discover the mystery of dark circles under the eyes - What are they? What causes them? Can you eliminate them?

Dark circles underneath the eyes may be due to a number of reasons, including genetics, allergies, or fatigue, to name a few. Our under eyes are one of the first areas that begin to show age-related changes. According to a recent paper in the Journal of Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigative Dermatology, there are generally three factors that are thought to contribute to dark circles underneath the eyes:

• 1 Hyperpigmentation 
• 2 More dilated, thicker, and/or increased number of capillaries 
• 3 Thinner skin 

So now that we know what causes dark circles under the eyes, let’s talk about how to treat them. Generally, when we think of treating the under eye, we think of dermal fillers. While dermal fillers can be excellent for adding volume to hollowing under eyes, they unfortunately will not have any effect on dark pigmentation. In my opinion, one of the most effective treatments would be a series of platelet-rich plasma, more commonly known as PRP, injections. This is a treatment that involves spinning a small amount of the patients own blood in a centrifuge, to isolate and separate the plasma from the other blood components. The concentrated plasma is full of growth factors that stimulate collagen production, which can lesson the appearance of pigmentation, fine lines, and minor hollowness under the eyes. I personally think this is a pretty amazing example of regenerative medicine, and is suitable for anybody who may be more opposed to dermal fillers or ablative laser treatments.

References
Mac-Mary S, Zornoza Solinis I, Predine O, et al. (2019). Identification Of Three Key Factors Contributing To The Aetiology Of Dark Circles By Clinical And Instrumental Assessments Of The Infraorbital Region. CCID 919-929. doi:10.2147/ccid.s217956