# Dark Circles under eyes

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-circles-under-eyes/153743>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 8, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-circles-under-eyes/153743 "2003-02-08T19:16:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mipiace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@mipiace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mipiace)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-circles-under-eyes/153743/1 "2003-02-08T19:16:03Z")

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Why do people get dark circles under their eyes when they are tired and why do they go away when rested. I notice some people are more prone to this than others. My daughter get’s them just about every evening but I have to be really tired. She has darker skin than I do. Does that have anything to do with it?

I also have a friend who is French and always has these circles tired or not. She is rahter dark skinned and we joke that she looks like a raccon!

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**Author:** ![SLASH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@SLASH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SLASH)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-circles-under-eyes/153743/2 "2003-02-08T21:24:23Z")

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I’m very pale myself and have that same problem. I can’t ever get rid of them completely, but I can use products that will diminish them.

So I’m not sure that darker skinned people are more prone to them, but then again I might just be an abnormality. 😉

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**Author:** ![Ave\_Minerva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@Ave\_Minerva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ave_Minerva)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-circles-under-eyes/153743/3 "2003-02-08T21:34:01Z")

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I was just wondering the same thing this morning. I also get dark circles if I wash my face in very cold water.

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**Author:** ![Thaumaturge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@Thaumaturge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thaumaturge)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-circles-under-eyes/153743/4 "2003-02-08T22:48:22Z")

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Well the skin under your eyes is thinner, which allows the blood vessels to be seen through it, making it seem darker. I have no idea why this effect is more pronounced when you are tired though.

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**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\
**Post date:** [February 8, 2003, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-circles-under-eyes/153743/5 "2003-02-08T23:45:54Z")

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A drop in adrenaline levels can cause dark circles under the eyes, although I don’t know why.

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**Author:** ![shoe1234](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@shoe1234](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shoe1234)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dark-circles-under-eyes/153743/6 "2003-02-09T00:25:27Z")

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[Here](http://www.nytimes.com/learning/students/scienceqa/archive/001005.html) is a site about dark circles

A quote from the site says, “Fatigue may make muscles relax or lose their tone”