There’s a reason why our bags look worse when we haven’t had enough rest.
One of the most common causes of dark circles is insufficient sleep. Lack of sleep can cause the skin to appear paler, making blood vessels beneath the skin more visible and thus creating dark circles.
But contrary to popular belief, this isn’t the only reason why people get them. Ageing, eye strain, smoking, or even genetics caused by thin skin around your lower eyelid can all be culprits for those pesky shadows.
They may also indicate underlying health problems – as shown by a woman who shared her experiences on TikTok. She was stunned when her dermatologist saw the bags under her eyes and instantly realised “allergies run in the family”.
In her viral video, she recounted how the dermatologist took one glance and surmised that someone in her lineage must suffer from “asthma, hay fever, eczema “, or another allergy type all deduced from the dark circles.
She shared: “He goes, ‘You wanna know how I know?’ and I go, ‘Yeah!’. He says, ‘You have allergic shiners under your eyes’. He said some big word for what it’s actually called and then he goes, ‘Those dark circles under your eyes’.
“I thought that was just because I don’t get sleep, but he goes, ‘No that’s actually from the congestion of your blood vessels. They produce a pigment and it shows that allergies run in the family’.”
Allergic shiners, also known as periorbital dark circles, are dark, shadowy discolourations under the eyes. They are commonly associated with allergic conditions, particularly allergic rhinitis (hay fever). These dark circles are caused by the congestion of small blood vessels beneath the skin in the under-eye area.
When allergies cause nasal congestion, it can lead to poor drainage of blood and increased pressure in the small veins around the eyes, resulting in the pooling of blood and a bluish or purplish tint that resembles a bruise.
Some allergies can be life-threatening. The NHS advises calling 999 if you experience sudden swelling of the lips, mouth, throat, or tongue, difficulty breathing, a tight feeling in the throat making swallowing difficult, extreme confusion, drowsiness, or dizziness, or if your skin, tongue, or lips start turning blue, grey, or pale.
If you suspect that you or your child may have an undiagnosed allergy, it’s recommended to consult a GP. They can arrange for allergy tests or refer you to a specialist allergy clinic for further examination.