Okay, I think we can all agree that waking up with dark circles is anything less than ideal. And it’s particularly not fun if it comes on the morning of an important work event, interview, date, or anything else that requires you to leave the house. Unfortunately, some people experience dark under-eye circles daily. Legit, every morning. I’m one of them. For me, it was hereditary.

Although they aren’t crazy noticeable now, I’ve had them since I was child. And this is not a gender thing — dark under-eye circles can be seen on anyone, regardless of how you identify. Although there are a ton of different reasons why you might have them, understanding the main reason is a great step into taking care of them, as it helps inform the best treatment option. Here’s why they happen and how to fix it.

Sadly, you’re old

We hate to say it, but you age every year. And it is the major reason why dark, sunken under-eyes become visible. Essentially, when you age, your face will loose volume. Underneath the eye is a soft tissue called SOOF (suborbicularis oculi fat).

Over time, the tissue shrinks and descends, leading to natural decrease in volume under the eye and the creation of a shadow. To make matters even worse, as we continue to age, we also lose collagen (the protein that makes our skin tight) and elastin — leading to thinner skin and loss of volume.

Or your skin is thirsty

The most common reason for loss of volume and tightness of skin is due to age. However, since water makes up about 60% of the human body, if you are dehydrated in any way, your body tissues will start to shrink, and you will lose volume all over the skin, but especially in delicate tissue like under eye area.

And if you do drink plenty of water, it could be the other beverages (wine, coffee, soda, juice) that you over indulge in that could be causing dark under eye. To fix this, limit caffeine, alcohol, and other beverages. Or, drink more water to recover.

Lastly, do you even sleep?

Although there are so many more reasons, these 3 are the most common and lack of sleep is surely one of the bigger ones. Yes, you can get dark under eye circles due to age-related loss of volume, but the biggest culprit is a serious lack of sleep or sleep deficiency. To combat your dark under-eye circles, try sleeping 7-9 hours each night. Experts also recommend sleeping at the same time every evening so your body can get into a regular rhythm. This also helps with insomnia and hectic schedules.

There’s a sleep loss epidemic happening, so you’re definitely not alone. Need to improve how much you sleep? Check out your sleep score. Also, try one of these meditation apps.

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