Your Ultimate Guide to Treating Dark Circles, According to Dermatologists

If you’re here, we’re willing to bet you’ve already spent a good hour panic-Googling “how to get rid of dark circles” while adding yet another full-coverage concealer to your Amazon cart. And hey, we get it. Under-eye circles come for us all at some point in life, and figuring out the cause of them — like genetics, stress, lack of sleep, allergies, hyperpigmentation, or a zillion other culprits — is just half of the equation. The other half? Identifying the best under-eye products and professional treatments for your specific type of dark circles.

Annoyingly, as with most persistent skin concerns, dark circles aren’t exactly easy to get rid of. That’s why we enlisted the help of board-certified dermatologists to break down what causes dark circles on different skin tones, how to treat the type of under-eye circles you’re working with (the buzzy, new-to-the-U.S. "skin boosters" might be able to help), and what to do if you’re dealing with dark circles, puffiness, and eye bags (a.k.a. the holy trinity). So before you slather on a burning cocktail of marketing scams and empty promises, allow us to explain everything you’ve ever wanted to know about getting rid of dark circles, ahead.

• Bradley Glodny, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Park Ave. Dermatology in New York City.
• Karan Lal, MD, is a double board-certified pediatric and cosmetic dermatologist in Scottsdale, Arizona.
• Arash Akhavan, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and founder of The Dermatology and Laser Group in New York City.
• Rachel Nazarian, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in New York City.
• Kavita Mariwalla, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in West Islip, New York.
• Rebecca Tung, MD, is a Florida-based board-certified dermatologist.

• What’s the difference between dark circles and under-eye bags?
• What is the cause of dark circles?
• How can I get rid of dark circles at home?
• How can I permanently get rid of dark circles?
• How can I get rid of dark circles fast?
• Takeaway

Here’s the first tricky part of dark circles: They often go hand-in-hand with puffy under-eye bags, says board-certified dermatologist Karan Lal, MD. Dark circles on their own look like flat or sunken shadows of pigment beneath your eyes. Depending on your skin color, your dark circles may look purple, blue, green, red, brown, or black — but typically, color alone isn’t helpful at self-identifying the true cause behind dark circles, despite what you’ve heard on TikTok.

Eye bags, however, are puffy mounds of under-eye skin that either match your skin color or appear a shade lighter. Because eye bags stick out from your face, they cast a dark shadow around your eye area that can often look like a bruise. If you’re dealing with dark circles caused by bags, you’ll need to treat the under-eye bags first. (Don’t worry, we’ll tell you how.)

Not sure which one you’re dealing with? Try this trick from Dr. Lal: Look in the mirror, close one eye, and gently press on your eyeball. If the bulging beneath your eye gets bigger, then you’re likely dealing with under-eye bags and their shadowing. If the area looks the same, you probably have textbook dark circles, the cause of which can be…varied.

“The cause of dark circles is always multifactorial,” says Bradley Glodny, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. “Patients often think it’s one factor, but usually if you address just one, you’re not going to get the best results.” Thankfully, your dermatologist will easily be able to diagnose the causes of your dark circles and create a treatment plan that works for you. Until then, let’s chat through why you have dark circles in the first place.

Dark circles tend to be genetic, especially if your bone structure is naturally angular and hollow. “People with concave eye areas often have indented dark circles,” says Dr. Lal. These can be easier to identify at home because your under-eyes will look “sunken” in all lights, but especially hollow when standing directly beneath overhead lights.

The thinner your skin, the more apparent your dark circles will look. “The skin around our eyes is already some of the thinnest skin on our bodies, which is why it’s so prone to showing underlying blood vessels and musculature,” says Dr. Glodny. Though we all have thinner skin around our eyes, the density can also be further affected by genetics and aging.

“One of the biggest causes of dark circles is something called vascular congestion,” says Dr. Lal. Some people have a ton of superficial blood vessels under their eyes — either from rosacea, chronic allergies, medications, or genetics — that can get engorged and leak over time, he says. “When blood seeps out of the vessels, it deposits into your skin and creates pigmentation deep into your dermis,” says Dr. Lal. Think of it like getting a blood-vessel tattoo, except instead of a cute floral or watercolor tattoo, you’re left with dark circles. Nice. “Typically, if concealer barely helps cover your dark circles, you’re likely dealing with true pigmentation in the skin,” says Dr. Lal.

As soon as we hit our mid-20s, our cellular regeneration starts to slow down and decrease, meaning less of the good stuff (i.e., firming proteins and fibers) gets made. “A lot of darkness we see under the eyes is from the loss of bone volume, collagen, and elastin,” says Arash Akhavan, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City.

Eye bags have their own laundry list of potential causes, including allergic reactions, water retention, and lack of sleep. But if you’ve always had eye bags with dark circles (meaning they don’t come and go depending on what you eat or what season you’re in), you’re likely dealing with genetic puffiness that’s contributing to the appearance of dark circles.

The same dark spots that pop up after breakouts can be the culprits behind your under-eye circles too. Under-eye hyperpigmentation typically stems from excessive eye rubbing, allergies, facial psoriasis, and eczema, says Dr. Akhavan. Basically, “anything that causes chronic inflammation under the eyes can cause hyperpigmentation that looks like dark circles,” he says. Hyperpigmentation around the eyes is especially prevalent in melanin-rich skin tones, notes Dr. Glodny. “People with darker skin tones tend to have darker eyelids, eye areas, underarms, and groins, and they’re particularly susceptible to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation,” he says. “In general, any area of darker skin has a much greater potential to become darker.”

“Anything that produces stress on your health can lead to dark circles,” says Dr. Akhavan. Stress can look like, well, literal stress, but it can also include lack of sleep, exhaustion, poor nutrition, dehydration, drinking, and smoking. “Stress in general is very inflammatory,” says Dr. Lal. “It can also exacerbate other underlying causes of your dark circles, like allergies, psoriasis, vascularity, and even aging.”

In some cases, dark circles can be the side effect of certain health conditions, like hypothyroidism, diabetes, or anemia, which is why you should visit your dermatologist or primary care physician if your dark circles are new and accompanied by other unexplained symptoms. Another potential cause? Vitamin B deficiencies, like B6 and B12. “When you’re deficient in B vitamins, you have less circulation and less tissue oxygenation,” says Dr. Akhavan. “As a result, your body dilates your blood vessels to bring in more oxygen, which creates darkness under your eyes.”

We’re all about over-the-counter treatments, but because dark circles can be fickle, we recommend you head to your dermatologist for a proper diagnosis first. “We use a special magnifying glass to see what’s happening in your skin that you may not be able to see with a naked eye,” says Dr. Lal. Of course, not everyone has access to a derm, so if you’re set on trying to get rid of dark circles yourself, here are the most effective products and tips to try first.

If you’re pretty positive your dark circles are due to thin skin or hyperpigmentation, you can try incorporating a gentle retinol made specifically for around the eyes, like the RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream (a three-time Allure Best of Beauty Award winner, NBD). "With repeated use, retinol can stimulate the production of collagen, making the skin less thin,” says Rachel Nazarian, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City.

Retinol also helps resurface your skin to fade hyperpigmentation and dark spots over time. More collagen plus newer skin equals fewer dark circles for you. It’s skin math. If your skin can handle some actives, try the SkinBetter Science EyeMax AlphaRet Overnight Cream that uses a mix of retinoids, AHAs, and niacinamide to majorly brighten and smooth skin. Or, if you have sensitive under-eyes, go for a moisturizing eye cream spiked with retinol, like Olay Eyes Retinol 24 Night Eye Cream, which is less potent — yet still just as effective — as a traditional retinol-first serum.

If your dark circles seem to be worse in the morning and are also accompanied by puffiness or under-eye bags, try sleeping on your back with your head elevated, so lymphatic fluid doesn’t pool as easily overnight, says Rebecca Tung, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Florida. You can go with the ol’ shove-another-pillow-under-your-head trick, or, for way more comfort (and less potential neck pain), try an incline wedge pillow or a back-sleeping pillow.

If you think your dark circles could be caused by hyperpigmentation (see: from chronic rubbing, inflammation, etc.), or you have melanin-rich skin and naturally dark under-eyes, then try incorporating brightening ingredients into your skincare routine, says Dr. Lal. The best non-whitening brighteners include vitamin C, kojic acid, tranexamic acid, arbutin, and licorice root. “These ingredients help decrease skin pigmentation over time, ultimately resulting in the lightening of the dark circles,” says Dr. Nazarian.

Thankfully, you’ve got a trillion options to choose from when it comes to eye brighteners. Two of our favorites include the cult-favorite Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Eye Crème (which won a 2022 Allure Readers' Choice Award for its three forms of vitamin C), along with the licorice- and vitamin C-packed BeautyStat Universal C Eye Perfector, which won an Allure Best of Beauty Award in 2021. Or, for a full-face treatment, try The Inkey List Tranexamic Acid Serum, which uses 2 percent vitamin C with 2 percent tranexamic acid to effectively brighten.

Remember, though: None of these brighteners will make a difference in your under-eye hyperpigmentation if you’re not wearing sunscreen of at least SPF 30 on a daily basis. For the best protection against further darkening around your eyes, "invest in a broad-spectrum mineral sunscreen that contains zinc oxide or titanium dioxide," says Dr. Tung.

“We call them allergic shiners for a reason — sinus and nasal congestion can create dark shadows under your eyes that look like bruises,” says Dr. Glodny. Even if you’re not congested, you may be unconsciously rubbing your eyes throughout the day, which can lead to pigment-producing inflammation and irritation over time. "Many people have darkness under the eyes due to allergies and don't realize it,” says Kavita Mariwalla, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in West Islip, New York.

Taking an antihistamine can help decrease your symptoms, says Dr. Mariwalla, who personally takes Zyrtec at night. For sinus congestion from allergies, you can also try an over-the-counter allergy nasal spray, like Flonase. You may also want to pick up an allergy-proof pillow protector to protect against dust and dust mites while you sleep, says Dr. Tung.

If, and only if, your doctor confirms you have a deficiency after extensive blood testing, you may be instructed to take a vitamin B supplement or receive vitamin B injections from your physician. But before you say “meh” and decide to guzzle some vitamin gummies anyway, listen up: “I really strongly believe that if you’re not deficient in something, you really shouldn’t be taking supplements,” says Dr. Akhavan.

Even without the supplements, you’ve got a ton of options for reducing the appearance of dark circles at home. “With the correct products and some time and patience, people can get better from doing the right things at home,” says Dr. Lal. “Take a ‘before’ photo, load up on topicals and sunscreen, and then take an ‘after’ photo at the three-month mark.” If you don’t see an improvement between the two photos, you’ll want to check in with your dermatologist who can offer you in-office treatments (keep reading) and also double-check your at-home routine.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to permanently get rid of dark circles. Even if you faded them away tomorrow, they would continue to ebb and flow in intensity throughout your life, because we are, as they say, only human. That’s not to say you can’t drastically improve your dark circles to the point where it kinda, sorta feels permanent. But drastic results will require professional, in-office treatments with ongoing maintenance — so, you know, not exactly budget (or lazy) friendly.

Under-eye filler is not for everyone. We repeat: Under-eye filler is not for everyone. “The best candidate for tear-trough filler is someone who has shadowing from volume loss, like if you have a concave bone structure,” says Dr. Lal, who doesn’t recommend filler for anyone with under-eye bags or for anyone with a ton of under-eye vascularity. “So many people are doing the wrong technique and leaving patients with puffy eyes or darker circles,” he says, “which is why it’s so important to go to a reputable dermatologist or oculoplastic surgeon for under-eye filler.”

“If at-home brightening products aren’t helping, ask your dermatologist about getting a chemical peel around the eyes,” says Dr. Lal. Professional chemical peels use higher-strength cocktails of acids (like lactic and glycolic) to help break down built-up pigments and dead skin cells for brighter, smoother, and slightly tighter under-eyes. Basically, a three-in-one treatment.

Depending on the type you receive, laser treatments can help get rid of dark circles by 1. stimulating collagen production to increase your skin’s volume and firmness; 2. breaking up the pigment particles so your body can metabolize them; and 3. resurfacing the top layer of your skin to fade hyperpigmentation and smooth fine lines. Your dermatologist may also recommend light-therapy treatments, like PDL (Pulsed Dye Light) or BBL (BroadBand Light), which Dr. Lal loves using for treating underlying vasculature — i.e., superficial blood vessels — to gently brighten the under-eyes.

A “skin booster” is injectable hyaluronic acid that’s formulated to be non-filling — meaning once it’s injected, it acts like a hydrating serum within your skin, giving you a bright and dewy appearance wherever it’s injected. Skin boosters have been highly popular in Korea and Europe for years, but the first and only FDA-approved booster in the U.S. as of 2023 is Skinvive. “You’re basically taking the best hyaluronic acid serum, where one application lasts six months, and injecting it,” says Dr. Akhavan, who says Skinvive can potentially make the under-eye area brighter, smoother, and glowier with just one treatment. “It’s a much safer option for someone with very thin skin under the eyes,” he says.

In case the exhaustive list of at-home and in-office treatments isn’t doin’ it for you, you do have one tried-and-true option for fast results: concealer. We know, we know, there’s no magic in a bottle when it comes to under-eye circles — there’s only makeup. If you’re dealing with hyperpigmentation under your eyes, try a full-coverage concealer that’s on the creamier side, like Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer.

If your under-eyes are dry, lined, and/or sunken, try the hyaluronic acid-packed Tarte Shape Tape Radiant Concealer (a 2023 Allure Best of Beauty Award winner, ahem) that has reflective particles that help create a brightening effect. And if you have no idea what’s going on with your under-eyes and you just want to nap, go for Kosas Revealer Concealer. It’s an all-in-one concealer that’s filled with vitamin C (to brighten), caffeine (to de-puff), hyaluronic acid (to plump), and peptides (to help strengthen skin).

If you’re trying to get rid of dark circles, you’ve got a few dozen eye creams, retinoids, peels, lasers, and lifestyle tricks to experiment with. And if you’re feeling overwhelmed, make an appointment with a dermatologist who can pinpoint the treatments that will actually help your dark circles — especially if they’re sudden, new, and confusing. “Your under-eyes are a little window into your general health,” says Dr. Akhavan. “So if your dark circles are new and unexplained, talk to your primary care provider for a baseline set of tests.”

Take a look at our favorite eye-focused skin and makeup products:

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Now, watch TikTok star Meredith Duxbury break down her jaw-dropping beauty routine:

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