What Causes Dark Eyelids And How To Get Rid of It?

Are your dark eyelids making you look tired and sick all the time? This can occur due to a number of factors, including changes in your blood vessels and surrounding skin, as well as hyperpigmentation.

This article will help you find out what exactly causes dark eyelids and what you can do to get rid of it.

What Our Expert Says

“There are a variety of reasons behind dark eyelids. Nutritional inadequacy, lack of sleep, and heredity are a few of them. Skin peeling therapies such as PRP (Platelet-rich plasma), chemical peeling, and fractional CO2 laser, may be recommended. It is often recommended to improve one's lifestyle and hydration of the skin.”

Prajkta Sapre (PG, Cosmetic Technology), Product Development Executive, SkinKraft

Highlights:

• What Are Dark Eyelids?
• What Causes Dark Eyelids?
• How To Get Rid Of Dark Eyelids?
• How To Prevent Dark Eyelids?

What Are Dark Eyelids?

Dark eyelids occur when the skin around the upper eyelids darkens. Though black eyelids may not pose any significant health dangers and are mostly a cosmetic concern, they can indicate underlying health issues and even lead to low self-esteem. However, there are a number of simple strategies and natural remedies that can help you get rid of this condition and achieve a brighter, more even skin tone.

According to SkinKraft’s Product Development Executive, Prajkta Sapre, “There are a variety of reasons behind dark eyelids. Nutritional inadequacy, lack of sleep, and heredity are a few of them. Skin peeling therapies such as PRP (Platelet-rich plasma), chemical peeling, and fractional CO2 laser may be recommended. It is often recommended to improve one's lifestyle and hydration of the skin.”

What Causes Dark Eyelids?

1. Pregnancy

Most women go through skin changes during their pregnancy.Melasma is a common skin condition that can occur during pregnancy.[1] They may see some changes in their skin tone as well. Often, pregnant women complain about brown or grey hyperpigmented patches on their skin. When these types of brown or dark patches occur around your eyelids, it looks black in colour. The black spots appearance is associated with excess melanin presence in your skin. Melanin determines your skin tone and when your skin has too much melanin, it tends to turn your skin black.

2. Biology & Genetics

Some studies indicate that your genetics sometimes can contribute to dark patches on the skin such as dark eyelids. For some people, this ailment may impact more in comparison with other members of the same family. According to these studies, people have also reported having black eyelids as youngsters that grew darker as they grew older. Some people also claimed that stress worsened the darkening and taking rest helped a lot to get rid of it.

3. Inflammation-Induced Hyperpigmentation

Irritations on the eye or allergies are considered to be the primary causes of dark eyelids. In case, you are suffering from some allergic reaction, your skin tends to go hyperpigmented. Some people face black eyelids due to the constant habit of rubbing the eye region or using nails to scratch the eyelids. It may inflict wounds as well. Allergies often lead to a build-up of fluid in the eyes and eventually turn your eyelids dark.[2]

4. Melanocytosis Of The Skin

As mentioned, melanin determines your skin tone and melanocytes are responsible for the pigment. [3] A skin condition called Dermal melanocytosis occurs when the melanocytes in the dermis of your skin develop dark pigmentation around your eyelids. People with cutaneous melanocytosis commonly have grey or blue-grey spots around or on the eyes.

A multitude of conditions, both acquired and congenital, can cause dermal melanocytosis. Various factors can cause dermal melanocytosis, including sun exposure during pregnancy hormonal changes and skin conditions like eczema.

5. Enlarged Blood Vessels

Skin thinning or the presence of blood vessels around the eyelids can also cause dark eyelids. During menstruation, women may notice a darkening of the skin around their eyes. One of the most primary triggers of darkening under the eyes is increased vascularity.

By manually stretching the skin around the eyes, doctors can confirm the diagnosis of increased vascularity under the skin. When the doctor stretches the skin, the colour will not fade or blanch if the cause is an increased number of blood vessels.

6. Certain Medications

Some medications can have side effects on your skin. One such medication side effect could be dark eyelids as a side effect. Conditions like latanoprost (Xalatan) and glaucoma are treated with Prostaglandin analogues medication. Long-term use of such medicines can cause dark skin patches including dark eyelids.

7. Result Of Age

Tear troughs are depressions that appear around the eyes and the nose as people age. Tear troughs are caused by the lack of fat in the region as well as skin thinning. As people grow older, they experience these changes. Studies show that the appearance of a hollow rim and shadow under the eyes can appear with age. It might emphasize the dark circles as well.

8. Edema

A multitude of reasons might induce inflammation around the eyes. One such condition is Edema. It causes swelling of the tissues which leads to dark eyelids. [4]

9. Environmental Surroundings & Lifestyle

Although clinical trials have yet to prove this, doctors believe that certain environmental causes either induce or worsen dark eyelids. For example, ultraviolet exposure might worsen dark eyelids.

A lack of sleep can exacerbate the appearance of dark eyelids. Not getting enough sleep can cause your complexion to appear pale, making dark areas appear darker. Also, elements like stress, excessive drinking and smoking can lead to sleep deprivation. This in turn can lead to dark eyelids.

How To Get Rid Of Dark Eyelids?

1. Skin Hydration

Staying hydrated is extremely important for your overall health and the wellness of your skin. It is recommended that you drink at least eight glasses of water per day. Dehydration can lead to a slew of health issues, including dark circles and droopy eyelids.

2. Sleeping Style & Pattern

Elevating your head when sleeping is also a commonly recommended remedy for dark eyelids. This can be accomplished by adding pillows or sitting in a recliner. Elevating your head can aid with blood flow and minimize eye puffiness. Additionally, maintaining a sleep pattern with 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night can help.

3. Over-The-Counter Treatments

Over-the-counter medications can aid in treating dark eyelids. Compounds like retinoid, kojic acid, and hydroquinone, which are potent anti-aging compounds, are found in OTC medicines. Nevertheless, they are quite strong and should not be used on a daily basis. Any over-the-counter treatment should be reviewed first with your dermatologist.

4. Dermatological Procedures

If you want a stronger therapy for dark eyelids than home cures and over-the-counter medications, dermatological treatments are a good option. Among the most popular choices are:

• Laser resurfacing therapy
• Fillers
• Chemical peels
• PRP
• Rejuvenation and tightening procedures
• Fat transplant
• Eyelifts
• Blepharoplasty

5. Home Remedies

A. Cold compresses:

This can help with dilated blood vessels and swelling induced by inflammatory diseases. It can also help prevent bruising caused by broken blood vessels. You could buy a cold compress from the drugstore, but a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a clean towel would work. Place it over your eyelids for five to ten minutes each time.

B. Tomato Slices:

Tomatoes are a popular natural therapy that is thought to reduce dark spots and damage when used consistently. This is because it is enriched with skin-lightening bleaching components. Tomato and lime juice can be used together to lighten dark circles. You can directly keep a tomato slice on each eye for 10 minutes. Do this thrice a week for best results.

C. Cucumber Slices:

Cucumber slices are another well-known home remedy for treating dark eyelids as they have skin lightening capabilities. They also have astringent properties that help to remove discoloration around the eyes. Very much like tomato slices, you can keep the cucumber slices on your eyes for 10 to 15 minutes.

D. Tea Bags:

Antioxidants present in green and black teas help to reduce inflammation and discoloration. Freeze two saturated tea bags for two hours and apply them over your eyes for 15 minutes. Rinse your eyes after removing the tea bags. Apply almond oil over your eyelids to keep them nourished.

How To Prevent Dark Eyelids?

1. Avoid direct sun exposure. Use sunscreen or sunscreen-containing moisturizers on your face and eyelids on a daily basis. Despite the fact that certain people are predisposed to developing dark eyelids, lessening sun exposure may assist in reducing the darkening.

2. Identify the cause and take up preventive measures. For example, during allergy season, limit your intake of salty foods and avoid touching the eyes. This may help prevent the development of allergies.

3. Melasma may not be preventable in pregnant women. While the spots may fade or disappear after delivery in some women, others may have spots that remain for years. When spending time outside, dermatologists recommend that pregnant women use sunscreen and a wide-brimmed hat to prevent melasma from intensifying.

4. Maintain a good lifestyle. Stay hydrated, consume a balanced diet, reduce intake of alcohol and smoking and get a sufficient amount of sleep every night.

5. Some people may also cover dark eyelids using makeup. However, concealing dark eyelids neither prevents or cures them.

Wrapping Up

Dark eyelids, a common aesthetic problem, that some people are more prone to it. Sleep deprivation, skin allergies, pregnancy, genetics and other causes may be responsible for it. The cause of the dark eyelids' appearance determines the treatment. Your physician may suggest a few lifestyle changes, certain medications and physical therapy such as chemical peels and laser treatment to get rid of it.

Treatments are sometimes required to be administered for a few months to get some before a significant result. Also, obtaining more sleep and daily applying sunscreen will help you reduce the dark patches quickly. Knowing your skin type and consulting a dermatologist for remedies can help.

Begin By Knowing Your Skin