Dark Circles Under Your Eyes: What Helps, What Does Not

Why dark circles happen

The skin under your eyes is very thin. So it shows things that thicker skin hides.

Cause	How it looks	Can you change it?
Too little sleep	Dull skin, darker and puffy in the morning.	Yes
Thin skin	A blue or purple tone.	A little
Shadows	A dark line that changes when the light changes.	With makeup
Sun	A brown tone.	Yes, slowly
Rubbing your eyes	Darker, rough skin.	Yes
Family traits	You have had them since you were young.	Not much

A quick check

Stand in front of a mirror in good light. Gently pull the skin under your eye to the side.

The dark color goes away: it is mostly a shadow.
The dark color stays and looks brown: it is in the skin. Sun is a common cause.
The color looks blue or purple: thin skin is showing what is under it.

This is a simple check. It is not a medical test.

What helps

Sleep. Seven to nine hours, at the same time each night.
Something cold. A cold, wet cloth on your eyes for a few minutes in the morning helps with puffy eyes.
Sunscreen and sunglasses. The sun makes dark circles darker.
A moisturizer or an eye cream. Moist skin looks smoother and brighter.
Do not rub your eyes. If they itch often, ask a doctor why.
Sleep with your head a little higher. One more pillow can help with puffy eyes.
Drink water. Have less salt and less alcohol.

What does not help much

Costly creams that promise to remove dark circles. No cream removes them fully.
Hard rubbing. It makes the skin darker.
Lemon juice or other harsh home mixes. They can hurt this thin skin.

How to cover them

Use a concealer one shade lighter than your skin.
For blue or purple circles, a peach or orange color under the concealer helps.
Pat it in gently with one finger. Do not rub.

Small style tricks

Wear a color you look good in near your face. It brings light to your skin. Read what colors suit me.
Face the light for photos. Light from above makes the circles look darker.

Give it time

Better sleep often shows in a few days. Skin care takes longer. Read how long skincare takes to work.

See what changes

Ukti is our app. Once a week you take a selfie, and Ukti reads your skin. Dark circles are one of the seven things it scores. It also gives notes for the skin under each eye.

You get care steps for the week, and a chart of your skin score over seven weeks. So you can see what changes over time.

Be careful

This guide is general care advice. It is not medical advice. See a doctor if a dark circle is under one eye only, if it came fast, or if you have swelling, pain or itching.

Common questions

What causes dark circles under the eyes?

Common causes are too little sleep, thin skin that shows the blood under it, shadows from the shape of your face, sun, rubbing your eyes, and family traits. Often it is more than one cause.

Can I remove dark circles for good?

It depends on the cause. Circles from poor sleep or dry skin often fade with better habits. Circles that run in your family or come from the shape of your face do not go away fully, but you can make them look lighter.

Do eye creams work for dark circles?

They can help a little. A cream keeps the thin skin under the eyes moist, so it looks smoother. No cream removes dark circles fully.

When should I see a doctor about dark circles?

See a doctor if the dark circle is under one eye only, if it came fast, or if you also have swelling, pain or itching. This guide is general care advice. It is not medical advice.