What should you know about dark circles in the corner of your eyes?

The inner corner is close to thin eyelid skin, the nose, and the tear trough, so several effects can look similar. Brown or grey colour may be pigment, including colour left after rubbing or inflammation. A blue or purple tone can reflect vessels showing through thin skin. A hollow or a change in lighting can create a darker-looking line without true pigment. Atopic dermatitis around the eyes can cause itch, dryness, redness, and rubbing; the condition often presents with intense itching, while the darkening may remain after irritation settles. Tear trough hollows can also make shadows more noticeable.

Dark circles are often present on both sides, but one-sided change deserves closer attention, especially if it is new or accompanied by swelling, pain, discharge, or a skin change.

Use a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser and moisturiser suitable for the eyelid area. Avoid scrubbing, picking, fragranced products, and unadvised lightening creams near the eye. Sunglasses and careful use of broad-spectrum sunscreen around, but not in, the eyes can limit further pigment. If allergies or eczema cause rubbing, treating that trigger may help prevent the colour from deepening. Take a clear photograph in similar lighting so you can tell whether the appearance is changing.

A clinician can distinguish pigment from a hollow or vascular shadow and discuss options. If facial volume loss is contributing, under-eye filler is a procedure that requires an appropriately trained medical professional; it is not suitable for every cause or every person.

Arrange a medical assessment for a new, persistent, or worsening change on one side, or for discoloration with a lump, crust, bleeding, marked itch, pain, warmth, or swelling. Seek urgent care if eye swelling comes with vision changes, severe pain, fever, injury, or difficulty moving the eye. A dermatologist or eye clinician can examine the skin and nearby eye structures when the cause is unclear.

Ask: Does this look like pigment, irritation, visible vessels, or a tear-trough shadow? Could an allergy or eyelid eczema be causing rubbing? Which products are safe near my eyes? Would treatment target the skin colour or the underlying hollow, and what risks should I understand?