Types of Dark Circles: Causes, Treatments, and How to Tell Yours

Tired eyes, dull mornings, countless concealers, everyone’s had that under-eye moment. For some, it’s a one-off after a sleepless night, but for many, dark circles feel like a permanent feature. 

No amount of makeup covers them fully, and creams often don’t seem to do much. The truth is, there are different types of dark circles, and each has its own causes and treatments. Understanding what type you have is the first step toward choosing the right solution.

In this guide, we’ll explore all the main types of dark circles, what causes them, and how both simple lifestyle changes and advanced clinic treatments can help.

Understanding Dark Circles: What Are They?

Dark circles refer to the darker or shadowed appearance of the skin under your eyes. While commonly confused with puffiness or bags, they’re not the same thing. Under-eye bags are swelling caused by fluid retention or fat pockets, while dark circles are about pigmentation, blood vessels, skin structure, or a mix of all three.

The skin around our eyes is the thinnest on the body, which makes tiny changes underneath, like visible veins or pigment, show through more clearly. Genetics, lifestyle, and even ageing all contribute.

Some quick myths and facts:

• Lack of sleep isn’t the only reason you get them.
• Dark circles are not necessarily a sign of poor health.
• Makeup can conceal but rarely fixes the cause.
• There are distinct types of under-eye circles that appear for different reasons.

The 4 Main Types of Dark Circles

Dermatologists generally classify them into four broad categories: pigmented, vascular, structural, and mixed-type. Recognising the difference can save you time and money experimenting with treatments that may not work for your specific type.

1. Pigmented Dark Circles (Brown or Tan)

These are among the most common types of dark circles, and causes are tied to excess melanin, the natural pigment in your skin.

• Identifying features: The area looks brown or tan. The shade doesn’t change with lighting or when you stretch the skin.
• Causes: Genetic tendency, sun exposure, hormonal changes, and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (following eczema or friction).
• Triggers: Skipping sunscreen, intense sun, and certain medications.

Treatment options:

• Daily SPF and sunglasses to stop further melanin buildup.
• Brightening creams containing vitamin C, niacinamide, kojic acid, or arbutin.
• Supervised chemical peels to lighten stubborn patches.

Prevention tips:

• Always apply sunscreen to your under-eye area (a lightweight formula).
• Avoid rubbing your eyes aggressively, especially if you have allergies.

2. Vascular Dark Circles (Blue or Purple)

This type shows up because of visible blood vessels under thin skin. It gives a bluish, purplish, or reddish hue. Lifestyle habits play a big role here.

• Identifying features: The colour lightens when you gently stretch or press the skin.
• Causes: Genetics (naturally thin skin), slower blood circulation, allergies, and nasal congestion.
• Triggers: Lack of sleep, smoking, dehydration, and extended screen time.

Treatment options:

• Topical creams with caffeine temporarily constrict blood vessels.
• Hydrating eye creams with hyaluronic acid or peptides.
• Lifestyle support, like better sleep hygiene and staying hydrated.
• Clinical treatments like vascular lasers can reduce vessel visibility.

Lifestyle support: 

• Limiting alcohol and smoking both slow blood circulation.
• Sleep with your head slightly elevated to reduce congestion.

3. Structural/Shadow Dark Circles

These are less about pigment and more about the anatomy of your face. If you have deep-set eyes or volume loss, shadows from light can make the under-eye look much darker.

• Identifying features: The area appears hollow or sunken, casting shadows depending on the lighting.
• Causes: Fat loss, thinning skin, deep tear troughs, and natural bone structure.
• Triggers: Ageing is the biggest cause of loss of collagen, and subcutaneous fat makes hollowing more obvious.

Many people ask: Can Morpheus8 Treat Eye Bags and Dark Circles? The answer is yes, it can help tighten thin skin, reduce crepiness, and soften the shadows that make circles look more pronounced.

Treatment options:

• Dermal fillers to restore volume and smooth out the hollow look.
• At-home care: hydrating and plumping eye creams with hyaluronic acid or peptides.
• Gentle massage with a cooling roller to improve circulation and reduce puffiness that exaggerates shadows.

4. Mixed-Type Dark Circles

Often, people don’t fall into just one category. You might notice brown discolouration and visible bluish veins, or hollowing combined with pigmentation. These are known as different types of dark circles under the eyes that overlap.

• Identifying features: Multiple signs at once, once oncediscolouration that doesn’t change with light, but also shadowing that shifts.
• Causes: A Combination of genetics, lifestyle, and ageing.
• Treatment approach: Requires a multi-targeted plan combining skincare, lifestyle changes, and professional treatments.

For stubborn mixed types, a clinic assessment is important. Treatments like lasers, peels, fillers, or energy-based devices may be combined for visible results.

Causes: Why Do Dark Circles Happen?

While categories help identify the type, it’s worth looking at the types of dark circles and their causes together. Common reasons include:

• Genetics: If your family has naturally darker under-eyes or thin skin, you may too.
• Sleep deprivation: Doesn’t create pigment, but makes vessels more obvious.
• Sun exposure: Stimulates melanin production.
• Allergies: Constant rubbing damages the thin skin and builds pigmentation.
• Ageing: Thinner under-eye skin and volume loss exaggerate both pigment and veins.
• Lifestyle: Poor diet, dehydration, excessive screen hours, and smoking make circles worse.
• Stress: Cortisol changes circulation and skin appearance, making circles show up more.

How to Identify Your Type

Not sure which type you have? Here’s a quick guide:

• Step 1: Look at the colour.
  Brown or tan suggests pigmentation. Bluish or purple = vascular.
• Step 2: Stretch the skin gently.
  If the dark colour fades, it’s vascular. If not, it may be pigmentation.
• Step 3: Check in different lighting.
  If it looks darker in specific lighting angles, it may be structural/shadow-related.
• Step 4: Mixed signs.
  If you notice both discolouration and hollows, you may have a mixed-type.

Self-Care: Simple Changes for Brighter Eyes

If your dark circles are mild or early, small adjustments can help:

• Sleep: Aim for a consistent 7–8 hours.
• Diet: Include iron-rich foods, leafy greens, and foods high in antioxidants.
• Hydration: Dehydration deepens vascular circles.
• Sun protection: SPF is non-negotiable.
• Topical care: Look for caffeine, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and Vitamin C in your creams.
• Avoid rubbing your eyes: Especially important for allergy sufferers.

Advanced Treatments: Clinic Options

When dark circles don’t improve with sleep, diet, or over-the-counter eye creams, professional treatments at a clinic can make a real difference. But before jumping into options, it’s important to remember: success depends on identifying the type of dark circles you have. 

Treating pigment-related circles isn’t the same as addressing hollowness or vascular concerns. Let’s walk through the most effective clinic-based treatments and what they really offer.

1. Chemical Peels: What They Do and Who They Help

What they are:

A chemical peel is a professional-strength solution applied to the skin to encourage exfoliation and renewal. By gently removing the topmost layer of skin, peels stimulate new cell growth, improve texture, and lighten pigment deposits. For the under-eye area, very mild or specially formulated peels are used.

Who benefits most:

• People with pigmented dark circles caused by excess melanin
• Those with sun-related damage or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation
• Patients whose circles remain brown/tan in colour, regardless of lighting

What to expect:

• The peel is applied in a controlled manner and neutralised after a set time.
• There may be mild tingling, redness, or flaking for a few days.
• Multiple sessions (spaced weeks apart) are often needed to see noticeable results.

Key takeaway: For pigmentation-driven circles, chemical peels can make the area look brighter and fresher.

Dermal Fillers: For Hollow Under-Eyes

What they are:

Dermal fillers are injectable gels (commonly hyaluronic acid-based) that restore lost volume and smooth out hollow areas. In the under-eye region, fillers treat the tear troughs—those grooves that create shadow-like dark circles.

Who benefits most:

• People with structural/shadow dark circles
• Patients showing hollowing from age-related fat and collagen loss
• Those with naturally deep tear troughs

What to expect:

• Performed under local numbing cream, the procedure involves tiny injections under the skin.
• Results are immediate, but full settling may take a few days.
• Effects generally last 9–12 months, depending on the filler used.

Key takeaway: Fillers are best for structural or hollow-related dark circles. They won’t correct pigmentation, but are transformative for sunken appearances.

Morpheus8: Radiofrequency Microneedling

What it is:

Morpheus8 combines microneedling (tiny punctures that boost natural healing) with radiofrequency (RF) energy to stimulate collagen and elastin production in the deeper layers of skin. This dual action tightens, firms, and improves skin tone.

If you’re considering non-surgical options in the UK, clinics offering Morpheus8 London treatments provide tailored solutions to address both dark circles and under-eye laxity without downtime.

Who benefits most:

• People with thin, crepey under-eye skin
• Those with mixed dark circles where skin laxity worsens the appearance
• Patients looking for non-surgical rejuvenation that supports long-term collagen building

What to expect:

• A numbing cream is applied before treatment.
• The device uses fine needles with RF energy to heat deeper skin tissue.
• Downside: mild swelling, redness, or pinpoint marks for a few days.
• Upside: results gradually improve as new collagen develops over weeks.

Key takeaway: Morpheus8 strengthens and thickens under-eye skin, helping with both discolouration and laxity.

Lasers: Targeted Pigment and Vascular Reduction

What they are:

Lasers use focused light energy to target specific concerns under the eye: pigment, broken vessels, or skin texture. Different types of lasers are used depending on the issue.

Types commonly used:

• Q-switched lasers: Break down pigmentation into smaller fragments that the body can naturally clear.
• Fractional lasers: Improve texture, stimulate collagen, and refine tone.
• Vascular lasers: Target visible blood vessels for vascular-type circles.

Who benefits most:

• Patients with pigment-based brown circles
• Individuals with bluish/purple vascular circles from visible veins
• Those with early signs of ageing and uneven under-eye skin

What to expect:

• Sessions are usually short (15–30 minutes).
• Mild warmth or tingling can be felt during the procedure.
• Recovery time is minimal, but multiple sessions are needed for full results.

Key takeaway: Lasers are highly versatile. They’re ideal when pigmentation or vascular issues are the main contributors.

Combination Treatments: For Stubborn or Mixed Circles

Not all dark circles neatly fit one category. In many cases, patients need a personalised combination plan to see significant improvement. Examples include:

• Chemical peels + sunscreen for pigmented circles
• Fillers + Morpheus8 for hollowness with skin laxity
• Laser therapy + topical cream for mixed pigmentation and vessels
• Triple combinations (like fillers, peels, and lasers) for stubborn, long-term circles

Because mixed dark circles involve more than one cause, using one treatment alone usually offers only partial results. Blending therapies under professional guidance creates a more natural, balanced outcome.

Final Thoughts 

Dark circles don’t have a single fix because the triggers are different for every individual. That’s why clinic-based treatments from chemical peels and dermal fillers to Morpheus8 and lasers are tailored to your specific type. 

For mixed or stubborn cases, professionals often combine methods for the most effective result. If dark circles bother you despite lifestyle changes, booking a consultation with an expert is the safest step toward fresher, brighter eyes.

FAQs

1. Can dark circles be totally removed?

Not always permanently, but with the right treatment and maintenance, they can be significantly reduced.

2. Are dark circles a sign of illness?

Most of the time, no. They’re usually linked to genetics, lifestyle, or ageing. Only rarely do they indicate a health issue.

3. Will diet changes really help my dark circles?

Diet isn’t a miracle cure, but proper hydration, iron, and antioxidants support healthier skin and blood circulation, making circles less noticeable.

4. How fast can results show with clinic treatments?

Peels and lasers may take several sessions. Fillers can show instant improvement. Morpheus8 benefits build over a few weeks as collagen remodels.

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