Types of Dark Circles Under the Eyes
Dark circles may have different underlying causes:
Pigmented Dark Circles
These look brown or grey. They come from excess melanin caused by sun exposure, rubbing the eyes, allergies or genetics. This is the most common type in Indian skin.
Vascular Dark Circles
These look blue or purple. Thin under-eye skin lets the blood vessels below show through, and they often look worse when you are tired or dehydrated.
Structural Dark Circles
These are shadows rather than colour. Loss of volume at the tear trough creates a hollow, and that hollow casts a shadow which reads as a dark circle.
Mixed Dark Circles
Many people have two types together, most often pigmented and structural. These need a combined plan.
Seasonal allergies can worsen dark circles through swelling, inflammation and eye rubbing, but are generally considered a contributing factor rather than a separate type.
At our Banjara Hills and Kukatpally clinics, a dermatologist assesses the contributing factors before recommending suitable treatment.