Dark circles
under your eyes
Dark circles have three possible causes: pigment, vessels showing through, or shadow from a groove. Pigment we treat with peels and targeted care.
At the intake we establish which of the three it is and what fits with that.
What we look at
Under the eye, light counts double: a lamp from above turns every hollow into a dark patch. So we assess it under fixed lighting.
Colour or shadow
Under fixed lighting from the front a shadow disappears and colour stays put. At home that does not work: a lamp on the ceiling turns every hollow into a dark patch.
Pigment or vessels
Under magnification you can see whether the darkness sits in the skin itself or whether you are looking through thin skin at the vessels beneath. Those two ask for different treatments.
Recorded in images
The photo is taken under the same lighting as at a following appointment. That way you see the difference side by side rather than having to estimate it afterwards.
Three causes
The three causes side by side, with, per type, what you see, where it comes from and what can be done about it in the clinic.
This is pigment
periorbital hyperpigmentation
There is more colour in the skin under your eye. That can be hereditary, can follow eczema or rubbing, and is more common in darker skin.
This is what we treat
These are vessels showing through
vascular circles
The skin under your eye is the thinnest on your body. In some people the network of blood vessels beneath shines through, which gives a blue-purple tone.
Partly treatable
This is shadow, not colour
tear trough, structural shadow
The transition between your lower eyelid and your cheek sits slightly deeper, and light from above turns that into a shadow. The skin itself has no unusual colour.
A different discipline
Did it come out as pigment? Then the same rules apply as for pigment elsewhere on your face, including the season in which you had better not start.
To the pigmentation pageWhat helps and what we advise against
Treating before it is clear which of the three it is costs most people the most money.
This works
- Working out first which of the three types it is. That costs you two minutes in front of the mirror and decides whether treatment makes any sense at all.
- Sun protection right up onto the eyelid if it is pigment. That spot is almost always skipped.
- Stopping the rubbing. Rubbing and scratching are a known driver of pigment in this spot.
- Comparing your photos under the same light, because light from above makes every circle worse.
- Accepting that part of what you see belongs to your face and not to your skin.
We advise against this
- Booking a treatment before it is clear which type you have. With one of the three that gives nothing and with a second only half.
- Working aggressively on the thin skin under the eye. That raises the chance of more pigment there instead.
- Thinking it comes down to sleep. Sleep makes the variation worse, but it causes none of the three types.
- Taking concealer as your measure. It covers colour and changes nothing about a shadow.
- Following amounts of vitamin K or caffeine found on the internet. For this spot there is no reliable evidence for that.
Under the eye, light counts double.
No area is as sensitive to the position of a lamp as this one. Light from above turns every hollow into a dark patch, and then you are mostly measuring your lighting rather than your skin.
So we record this area with fixed lighting and at a fixed distance. Only then is a difference later a difference, and not a different moment of the day.
More about the skin analysisWhat we measure here
- Colour
- How much pigment sits in the skin itself
- Showing through
- How strongly the vessel network beneath counts
- Shadow
- How deep the transition to the cheek lies
Every axis is measured again at each check-up, under the same lighting. That way a difference later is something you see rather than something you have to take on faith.
What we use for this
Skin boosters and mesotherapy
€ 175Active ingredients placed into the skin rather than onto it, at a fixed depth per injection.
RRS Eyes
€ 130Active ingredients around the eye contour. For dark circles, fine lines and a tired look.
Eye peel
€ 30A peel that is allowed on the eye contour. For fine lines and a dull, dark eye area.
Frequently asked questions
Does it really not come from too little sleep?
Lack of sleep causes none of the three types. It does make your face puffier and paler, which makes existing circles stand out more. So a lie-in makes them look better for a while without anything having changed.
My mother has them too. Is that a coincidence?
Probably not. Both the shape of the eye socket and the tendency towards pigment in this spot run in families. That changes nothing about what is possible, but it does explain why they were there early.
I have darker skin. Does that change anything?
Yes. Pigment under the eye is more common in darker skin, and at the same time the chance of unwanted discolouration after too strong a treatment is higher there. Working more gently is then not caution but necessity.
Does an eye cream help?
With pigment, care can help along; with shadow it does nothing. That is exactly why it pays to know which type you have first rather than buying something.
How many sessions do I need?
Usually three to six, with four to six weeks in between, and you only hear that after the measurement because it depends on the cause. With pigment we deliberately work in smaller steps under the eye, so count on more sessions than for the same spot on your cheek.
What does this cost?
That depends on the treatment that suits your skin, and we work that out at the consultation. The consultation costs 50 euros; if you have a treatment in the same appointment, that amount comes off again. You then hear straight away how many sessions it takes and what the total will be. Every price per treatment is published on the price page.
First know which type you have.
We look under fixed lighting at which of the three it is. If it turns out to be shadow, you hear that and it stops there. If it turns out to be pigment, you know straight away what is possible.
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