Issue 01 · Winter · Ask a doctor
What's actually causing my dark circles?
Three different problems that look identical in the mirror.
4 min readEye Rejuvenation
Pigment, vascularity or structure. Pigmented circles stay the same colour when you stretch the skin; vascular ones lighten; structural shadow changes with the angle of the light because it is a hollow, not a colour. Each has a different treatment and the wrong one does nothing.
The stretch test
Gently pull the skin outward at the outer corner. If the darkness persists it is pigment in the skin itself. If it fades, you are looking at vessels showing through thin skin.
Why creams disappoint
Most under-eye creams address pigment. If your shadow is structural, no cream reaches the problem. Volume does, and only after an examination confirms it is the hollow you are seeing.
General information, not medical advice. What applies to your skin is decided by a doctor after an assessment.
