Why do you still have dark circles under your eyes despite adequate sleep?

Dark circles under the eyes make the face look dull, tired, and lifeless. Most of the time, this condition is caused by not getting enough sleep or staying up late. However, many people who get enough sleep still have dark circles under their eyes. Why do you still have dark circles under your eyes even though you get enough sleep?

1. Why do you still have dark circles under your eyes, even though you get adequate sleep?

According to research, the epidermis of the skin around the eyes is very fragile and especially sensitive. Underneath the epidermis is a dense network of capillaries. External impacts, such as staying up late, stress, or fatigue, the capillaries quickly dilates and breaks under this epidermis, resulting  areas of hyperpigmentation. This phenomenon is also known as dark circles under the eyes.
However, even individuals who get enough sleep can still experience dark circles under their eyes. The reason may be that although they get 8 hours of sleep, they do not sleep deeply; the body is not in a state of complete rest, causing fatigue and languidness.

For the elderly, the aging process causes the skin to gradually lose collagen, and subcutaneous fat, reduces its elasticity and regeneration ability, and the already thin skin around the eyes becomes even thinner. Therefore, even if you get enough sleep, dark circles still appear.

Why do you get enough sleep, but your eyes are still dark? Many people ask this question.
Why do you get enough sleep, but your eyes are still dark? Many people ask this question.

2. What are the causes of dark circles under the eyes?

There are many causes of dark circles under the eyes, despite getting enough sleep, the most common of which include:

  • Dehydration
    Dehydration causes the blood vessels under the eyes to swell, resulting in eye bags and dark circles.
  • Due to exposure to sunlight
    Sunlight is the biggest “enemy” of the skin and eyes. Sunlight increases the melanin pigments under the skin, leading to rapid and severe darkening and aging of the skin, particularly around the eyes.
  • Smoking, using stimulants,
    Regular smoking, alcohol consumption, and coffee consumption can cause blood vessels to constrict, thereby reducing blood circulation and leading to wrinkles and dark circles under the eyes.
    The body lacks essential nutrients.
    Lack of nutrients in the body can lead to dry, dull, and lifeless skin tissue, including the thin skin under the eyes.
  • Eat salty foods.
    Salt causes water retention in the body, which not only causes dark circles but also comes with eye bags.
    Habits of using electronic devices frequently and improper eye hygiene

Habits such as rubbing eyes, frequently looking at, and using phones and computers not only damage the eyes but also damage the skin under the eyes, causing dark circles and lack of vitality.

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Nguồn tham khảo: webmd.com

3. Should you consult a doctor if you have dark circles despite getting adequate sleep?

Depending on the cause of dark circles, the severity, and symptoms, you will decide whether to see a doctor or not. However, you should not be subjective when your eyes are dark, because dark eyes are also a symptom of heart, liver, kidney, thyroid, and other organ diseases that cause the body to retain water, causing blood to accumulate under the eyes, leading to dark circles.
If you have dark eyes and swelling in one eye, and the condition does not improve or may worsen, you should promptly visit a medical facility for a thorough examination and assessment.

Dehydration is also one of the leading causes of dark circles.
Dehydration is also one of the leading causes of dark circles.

4. Overcome dark circles, even when you get enough sleep.

Here are some ways to help overcome dark circles:

  • Gently massage the eye area and apply eye cream at night before going to bed: dot the cream around the eye area and gently pat from the middle of the eye to the corner of the eye with the ring finger.
  • Use cotton pads soaked in green tea or take a slightly warm tea bag and place it on your eyes to increase blood circulation to the tissues, helping to relax the muscles around the eyes. Tea contains tannins that help reduce swelling and brighten the skin.
  • Moisturize your skin: Applying moisturizers to your face in the morning and evening before bed will help reduce wrinkles and slow down the aging process.
  • Cold compress: Using ice cubes on the area under the eyes is one of the quick and effective ways to help reduce eye bags and puffiness. Ice cubes will help dilate and discolor the blood vessels.
  • Pillow: When sleeping, raising your head with two or more pillows can prevent fluid from accumulating in the lower eyelids, causing eye bags and dark circles.
  • When going out, you need to cover your eyes, especially in the hot summer.
    Use moisturizing products and specialized products for the skin around the eyes to improve dark circles and help the skin around the eyes stay healthy and youthful.

In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to daily nutrition to minimize dark circles.

  • Supplement iron and vitamin B12.
    A deficiency in iron and B12 will hinder the supply of oxygen to the body's tissues and reduce the ability of the skin to regenerate. Iron, vitamin Eggs, red meat such as beef, lean meat, salmon, liver, spinach, and so on are abundant sources of B12.
  • Vitamin K
    Vitamin K helps regulate blood clotting and strengthens the capillary wall. Broken capillaries lead to blood leakage, resulting in dark circles under areas of thin skin, such as the eyes. You can supplement vitamin K for the body by eating foods: green leafy vegetables, avocado, kiwi, eggs, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, liver, and soybeans.
  • Vitamin A
    Vitamin A is an antioxidant, limiting wrinkles. When the body lacks vitamin A, it will cause dry eyelids, tired eyes, sensitivity to sunlight, and dark eyes. You can supplement your body with vitamin A through foods such as sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, liver, pumpkin, and fruits.
  • Vitamin B
    Vitamin B helps reduce water retention in the body, thereby reducing eye swelling, eye bags, and dark circles. Supplement vitamins by eating walnuts, spinach, salmon, etc.

The above information explains the cause of this question: “ Why do you still have dark circles even though you get enough sleep?” You can learn and find a treatment to improve the condition of dark circles. 

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