What is Periorbital Hyperpigmentation?

Have you been noticing a dark hue under your eyes recently? If they stay around for a while, then chances are that you have periorbital hyperpigmentation. While a cosmetic concern, dark circles are one of the most gruelling annoyances that can impact not only an individual's skin but also their mental well-being.

Periorbital melanosis is most commonly prevalent in women and may manifest as early as the ages of 16-25 in growing adults. Gaining a fine grasp of the subject can help you identify the concern and seek an appropriate professional diagnosis to rule out underlying issues. Let’s explore the condition in the article below.

Keynote

• Periorbital melanosis is a medical term for dark circles, referring to the semicircular pigmentation (brown, black or purple) around and underneath the eyes.
• This condition can be caused by nutritional deficiencies, hormones, genetics, stress, certain disorders or physical trauma to the skin.
• Professional periorbital hyperpigmentation treatments comprise chemical peeling, fillers, injections, lasers, etc.
• Preventative methods one can apply to manage the condition include a holistic skincare routine with topical actives, sunscreen and lifestyle changes like quitting smoking and reducing stress.

Periorbital hyperpigmentation or periorbital melanosis, is a condition in which the semicircular area underneath the eye turns pigmented, taking on a tan-brown or black hue depending on your skin color. At times, the change in hue may also affect the region around the eyebrows, upper dark eyelids, cheeks, temples, and along the sides of one's nose.

Depending on one’s ethnicity and the type of concern, the dark circles can take on hues like brown, blue, pink, black, and purple. Hence, getting an accurate diagnosis can help you identify the concern and follow a structured periorbital treatment. Here are some of the variations one may experience:

• Pigmented Dark Circles

  These include the standard darkened appearance of skin along the infraorbital region, around both eyes. The pigmentation can also show up as irregular dark patches around one eye (or both) due to inflammatory reactions. The result is brought about by a surge of melanin production in the skin due to natural or environmental reasons.

• Vascular Periorbital Pigmentation

  In this concern, the area under the eyes sports a significant redness or bluish tint, which is often chalked up to capillaries and veins visible through thin skin. The tint of these blood vessels grows more prominent when the overlying skin is stretched and irritated.

• Structural Periorbital Melanosis

  As compared to the above two, the structural type produces stark, dark contours under the eye bags rather than a change in shade. This is due to eye bags, puffy superior tarsal muscles, or hollow grooves near the inner corner of the eye that create shadows when light shines directly onto the skin.

  Lastly, you may also experience a combination of these symptoms altogether, which makes treating the concern a complex process. Dermatologists usually employ a Wood's lamp (UV light) to check for pigmentation or dermoscopy to examine the nuances of your skin texture for a detailed diagnosis.

POH is a common concern that may affect an adult at any point in their life as a result of either constitutional factors or post-inflammatory ones. Let’s explore the causes of periorbital hyperpigmentation in detail below:

Genetics, Fatigue, Allergies

• Genetics

  A genetic predisposition to hyperpigmentation in your family makes you a likely recipient of the condition as well. This could mean that if your grandparents or parents have dark circles at any point in their lives, you may inherit the condition to any strength, due to dominant gene expression.

• Fatigue

  The common consensus correlates periorbital melanosis with an excess of sleep debt. However, the jury is still out on that claim and requires further studies to back it entirely.
  Apart from lack of sleep, one can also experience fatigue due to chronic stress, which in turn is a known aggressor of dark circles. In the process of easing stress through the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the body ends up releasing hormones such as cortisol. This reaction triggers the production of melanin in the body as an anti-inflammatory response, leading to periorbital melanosis.

• Allergies

  Skin allergies such as atopic dermatitis (eczema) often leave your skin red, inflamed and itchy. When an individual dealing with eczema rubs the delicate skin around their eye, the action leads to an adverse reaction, turning the skin darker over time. Such inflammation can also be seen in contact dermatitis from the application of faulty cosmetics or harsh skincare products in the periorbital area.
  
  Apart from these, oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), health conditions like irregular periods, pregnancy, diabetes and disorders related to one’s heart, kidneys, liver and thyroid can all affect your skin in a variety of ways, with some resulting in periorbital melanosis.

Lifestyle and Nutritional Deficiencies

• Lifestyle Factors

  Lifestyle choices that affect periorbital hyperpigmentation have to do more with than just stress. The amount of time spent in the sun can also trigger pigmentation in the area around your eye. Since the periorbital skin is characteristically thin, it is more likely to be affected by UV radiation, turning it darker, wrinkly, and saggy.

• Nutritional Deficiencies

  Nutrition plays an integral part in maintaining one’s health, in particular deficiencies like vitamin K and iron can lead to bleeding disorders and anemia, respectively. These can potentially contribute to vascular-type dark circles.
  
  Moreover, vitamin B12 deficiency also affects the body’s ability to create red blood cells and hinders the skin's intracellular reduction functionality. This reduces glutathione (GSH) levels in the body and diminishes its ability to fight against oxidative stress, giving way to uncontrolled pigmentation.

Dark circles can have a considerable influence on one’s self-image and anxiety about being perceived as older by others. This distress can be cared for with a string of cosmetic solutions and professional treatments. Some periorbital hyperpigmentation treatments include chemical peels (glycolic acid or lactic acid), lasers, fillers, injections and even surgery.

Skincare Products and Dermatological Solutions

Individuals with mild dark circles can also effectively relieve the concern at home with consistent use of topical agents. The most common topical solutions used in cosmetic products for periorbital hyperpigmentation are kojic acid, azelaic acid, hydroquinone, vitamin C, alpha arbutin, topical retinoid acid, etc.

You may also explore gentle, dermatologically proven products to help alleviate the concern, such as:

1. Eye cream - Day

   Depuff your fatigued eye bags with a hyaluronic acid eye cream like the Hyaluron-Filler Eye Cream SPF 15 in the morning. It effectively soothes your skin, hydrates it, and provides structural support for optimal barrier function. Moreover, it is also formulated with SPF 15 to protect your delicate orbital skin from UV damage, making it perfect for a day out.

2. Face serum

   Supplement your daytime eye cream with Hyaluron-Filler Moisture Booster Face Gel to replenish lost moisture in the skin, leaving it hydrated for more than 24 hours. This formula plumps up creases such as fine lines and wrinkles to give you a smooth, even-textured complexion that is soft to the touch.

3. Eye cream - Night

   Yes, you can also benefit from including eye creams in your nighttime routine to promote your skin health. Rich eye creams with active ingredients like thiamidol and hyaluronic acid in Eucerin Anti-Pigment Dark Circle Eye Cream target hyperpigmentation overnight. It reduces dark circles, de-puffs, and smoothens fine lines to give you a rejuvenated look the following day.

While seeking prompt periorbital melanosis treatment is advisable, incorporating certain lifestyle choices can help you control the spread of the condition further. Here are simple habits that you can inculcate to improve the health of your periorbital skin:

• After your skincare routine, ensure to apply sunscreen daily with at least SPF 30 to protect your skin against sun damage.
• Avoid rubbing the area around your eye aggressively to prevent irritation, especially while removing makeup.
• Address any underlying health issues, allergies, or nutritional deficiencies with an appropriate diagnosis to mitigate the condition.
• Use gentle skincare products designed for sensitive skin and avoid harsh ingredients or fragrances, which may irritate the skin further.
• Improve your lifestyle choices by quitting smoking, getting adequate sleep, and practicing relaxation techniques like meditation to reduce stress.

Seeking professional medical help is essential to rule out nutritional deficiencies, disorders and allergies. Hence, if you notice a drastic change in the pigmentation of the skin around your periorbital area, then you must seek a professional assessment immediately. Even a noticeable change in dark circles around one eye should be medically evaluated to rule out localized issues.

Dark circles or periorbital hyperpigmentation, when manifested early on in life, can significantly impact your daily life and social interactions. Hence, understanding the nuances of your particular type of dark circles is essential to approach the concern holistically. By combining dermatology-proven products and professional interventions, one can manage the appearance of dark circles and boost their skin health.

1. What causes periorbital hyperpigmentation around the eyes?

   Periorbital hyperpigmentation is a concern that refers to the changes in skin color of the area around and underneath the eye due to inflammation and structural factors such as eye bags. The diverse causes of periorbital hyperpigmentation comprise nutritional deficiencies, hormonal changes, genetics, allergies, sun exposure, as well as lifestyle factors like stress.

2. What is the difference between periorbital melanosis and dark circles?

   Periorbital melanosis and dark circles are two terminologies for the same condition; the former is simply a medical term that dermatologists frequently use. Both referred to the change in pigmentation of the skin around the eye, making it appear almost brown, blue, black, or purple in color.

3. What are the best treatments for periorbital hyperpigmentation?

   Some common periorbital hyperpigmentation treatments that dermatologists may prescribe include topical solutions, chemical peels, laser therapy, fillers, and even surgery in extreme cases.

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