Sleep: A Factor that Causes Dark Circles Under Eyes or Not?

A common “myth” that has been discovered by dermatologists studying skin discoloration in the face is that sleep, or the lack thereof, causes dark circles under eyes.
The truth is that sleep does not really have a direct connection with having dark circles.
Sleep deprivation and fatigue may not really be blamed for having dark circles, although you will really look like someone with poor sleeping habits or someone who’s always tired if you have dark circles.
Sleeping can only have an effect as far as our position.  Since we sleep horizontally, fluid collects in the veins below our eyes, making them dilated, thus the puffy and dark appearance.  But this condition usually wears off an hour or two after we wake up, when we are already vertical.
What may actually be a more solid cause of dark circles would be common morning allergies and colds that make us rub our itchy eyes.  Rubbing the eyes can cause the veins in the lower region to be irritated and become engorged.  They then strain into the thin skin in that area, which gives you blue-blackish tinges.
So, if you have this condition and are thinking of something that causes dark circles under eyes besides sleep, take a good look at your habits and lifestyle.
For one, having the skin condition called eczema can cause dark eye circles.  Having eczema makes the eyes itch, which causes people to rub their eyes, discoloring them further.
Certain medications for some organ diseases like kidney and liver disease can cause dilated blood vessels.  When blood vessels dilate they strain towards the skin of your lower eye region, bringing with them their bluish hue, which only contributes more to the darkening of that area.
Lastly, discoloration of the area below the eyes can also be brought about by insufficient nutrients in the body.  If your diet is lacking in vitamins and minerals like vitamin K and folic acid, chances are, dark circles are bound to be more noticeable.
Now that you know what causes dark circles under eyes, you can try to remedy this condition by using natural, homemade solutions.  This is not to say that synthetically-produced solutions do not offer good treatment to dark circles.  However, these solutions like eye creams and ointments only address several symptoms and not the main problem.  Moreover, they are quite expensive.
Lastly, you would need to use them regularly for their effects to really kick in.  Considering that they are quite pricey, you would really need to allot some money just for these concoctions to show their effectiveness.  Natural solutions meanwhile may be quite as effective and may not even reach a quarter of the price eye creams costs.
To get rid of puffiness and ease dark circles, try slicing raw cucumber or potato and put them over your closed eyes for 20 minutes.
You can also grate a cucumber and squeeze out any juice and add it to a mixture of lemon juice and lanolin cream.  Turn the mixture into ice cubes and apply around the eye for 15 minutes.