I’ve, for most of my teenage and twenty-something yearold life, had dark circles under my eyes. Some people have told me it’s because I have an iron deficiency and to put more iron in my diet. Surely this is not the answer, right? What causes these dark circles? I know there’s a straight dope about ‘bags’ under the eyes, but dark circles and bags are different. 
I think the circles eventually become bags. I have always had circles under my eyes, and was told it was caused by lack of sleep. I’m also an insomniac.
They’re not the same thing. Some mediterranean people are born with dark circles under the eyes - and all these babies do is sleep… must be genetic…
I’m just wondering how many of my fellow Australian dopers immediately thought of Jon English.
Interesting question. I hope one of the Docs comes by and let’s us know. My wife whom I’ve known for 7 years suddenly got the dark circles one summer. almost like she woke up one day with them? So come on Quag whats up?
When I saw the thread title , I was hoping it would lead to the answer of something that’s been bugging me – why are they called black “circles”? Aren’t they more like lines , or , at most , arcs?
Perhaps this article will help…
The Skinny on Shiners
It seems that there are many causes, but most are treatable.
(I saw the same info on a number of other sites, but this was one of the ony ones that wasn’t trying to sell something.)