Around 78% of cases of dark circles (whose scientific name is periorbital hyperpigmentation) are observed in women. The information is part of a study published in the journal Surgical & Cosmetic Dermatology of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology. The factors causing the problem can be very diverse: smoking, sun exposure, insomnia, a bad night’s sleep, among many others that can cause increased pigmentation around the eyes.
Maria Cecília Rivitti Machado, dermatologist at the Hospital das Clínicas of the Faculty of Medicine of USP, explains that “the most common thing is that dark circles are due to an increased production of melanin in the area, but other causes also occur, such as thinning of the skin When vascularization becomes more visible, an increase in vascularization may also occur, and these processes may be physiological in nature.”
Dark circles under the eyes can often indicate illness. Those who suffer from rhinitis, for example, tend to have spots in their eyes. The main disease that can be identified through increased color in the upper eyelid is called dermatomyositis, an autoimmune disease in which there is inflammation of the skin and muscles, with weakness, sensitivity to sunlight and increased pigmentation around the eyes. It may appear more reddish or purplish, or brownish, depending on the patient’s skin tone.
