Dark circles under the eyes are rarely just tiredness. There are four causes, often in combination, and they are treated differently: pigment in the skin itself (brownish circles, common in darker skin types and hereditary, worsened by sun and rubbing), vessels showing through the thin skin under the eye (bluish-purple circles, worse with tiredness, cold and allergy), shadows from hollow tear troughs or bags under the eyes (circles that disappear when you light the face from the front but show under ceiling light, increasing with age as the fat under the eye shifts), and swelling from lack of sleep, salt, alcohol, crying or allergy that makes the skin thinner and darker in the morning. Sleep, allergy treatment, sunscreen, cold, retinol and colour-correcting concealer do a lot for vessel and swelling circles; pigment needs long-term skincare and sunscreen; shadows from volume loss need fillers at a clinic if you want a big difference. Face cupping and lymphatic drainage around the eyes reduce the swelling and increase circulation, which makes vessel circles lighter and morning puffiness smaller. Here is how to tell the type, what helps each one, and how to cup around the eyes.
Which type of circles do you have? Two simple tests
- Pull the skin gently sideways (towards the temple). If the circle gets lighter: it is vessels and thin skin. If the colour moves with the skin: it is pigment. If the shadow disappears when the skin is taut: it is a shadow from a tear trough or bag.
- Light the face straight from the front with your phone's torch instead of ceiling light. If the circle almost disappears it is a shadow from shape (hollow tear trough or bag); if the colour still shows it is pigment or vessels.
- Compare morning and evening. Much worse in the morning, better after an hour or so: swelling plays a part.
The four causes and what helps
| Type | Recognised by | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Pigment | Brownish circles, often also on the upper eyelid, hereditary, common in darker skin, worse after sun and if you rub your eyes (allergy, eczema) | Sunscreen every day (the most important), stop rubbing, treat allergy, eye cream with vitamin C, niacinamide or azelaic acid, low-strength retinol; a dermatologist can give lightening cream, peels or laser. Count in months |
| Vessels through thin skin | Bluish-purple or reddish circles that get lighter when the skin is pulled sideways; worse with tiredness, cold, allergy, a blocked nose, menstruation and after alcohol | Sleep, allergy treatment and a clear nose (a blocked nose congests the veins under the eyes), cold in the morning, caffeine cream, retinol that thickens the skin over time, face cupping and lymphatic drainage for circulation, peach-toned concealer |
| Shadow from tear trough or bags | Circles that disappear when lit from the front; a hollow between the eye and cheek, or a bag above the hollow; increases with age and weight loss; see the guide to under-eye bags | Reduce the swelling in the bag (so the shadow gets smaller), posture and sleeping with the head higher, lymphatic drainage; tear trough fillers at a clinic for a clear change; light-reflecting concealer |
| Swelling | Worst in the morning and after salt, alcohol, crying, allergy, poor sleep; the skin looks thinner and darker when stretched by fluid | Sleep, less salt and alcohol in the evening, a higher pillow, cold, lymphatic drainage and face cupping in the morning, allergy treatment |
Circles that have come quickly together with tiredness, pallor or breathlessness can be due to anaemia or the thyroid and are worth a blood test; circles with itching and flaking skin are eczema and are treated as such. Children with dark circles and a blocked nose often have allergy.
A morning and evening routine that makes a difference (two weeks to see an effect)
- Evening: remove make-up without rubbing, eye cream or face oil with retinol (low strength, two evenings a week to start) or peptides, sleep on a higher pillow and preferably on your back, and avoid salt and alcohol in the last hours.
- Morning: cold for 2–3 minutes (a chilled face cup, a cold spoon or chilled eye pads), lymphatic drainage and light cupping as below, eye cream with caffeine or vitamin C, and sunscreen (mineral-based is best tolerated around the eyes) every day, all year.
- During the day: blink and take screen breaks, treat allergy and a blocked nose (steroid nasal spray or antihistamine), drink water, never rub your eyes.
- Concealer: a peach or orange tone under a skin-coloured concealer neutralises blue vessel circles; a light-reflecting concealer lifts shadows; pigment circles need a covering product. Thin layers, not thick.
Face cupping and lymphatic drainage around the eyes: how to
Around the eyes, the small face cup is used with the lightest possible suction and face oil, always on the bony rim around the eye socket and never on the eyelid itself or the soft skin right under the eye. The aim is to drain fluid from the eye area and increase circulation so that stagnant blood in the small veins, which gives bluish circles, moves on. Three to five minutes in the morning.
- Open the lymph: stroke with your fingers from the temple down in front of the ear to the collarbone, five times per side, and press lightly in the hollow above the collarbone.
- Chill the cup under cold water for half a minute; cold constricts the vessels and reduces swelling immediately.
- Under the eye: place the cup on the cheekbone straight below the inner corner of the eye (on the bone, not on the soft skin), and glide outwards along the cheekbone towards the temple, three to five light strokes. The suction should barely be noticeable.
- Outer corner: from the outer corner of the eye diagonally up towards the temple, three strokes; then from the temple down in front of the ear, three strokes, so the fluid follows.
- Above the eye: from the inner end of the eyebrow along the brow out to the temple, three strokes.
- Finish with the fingertips: light presses along the bony rim under the eye from the nose outwards, five times, and stroke down towards the collarbone.
Guided program: the cupping program for puffy eyes; the whole picture in lymphatic massage for the face and face cupping. Do not cup on the eyelid or the thin skin directly under the eye, with an eye infection, eczema or rosacea in the area, within two weeks after botox and four after fillers, or if you bruise easily; too strong suction around the eyes can cause small broken vessels and make the circles worse.
What is reasonable to expect?
Swelling circles and vessel circles become clearly lighter in two to four weeks with sleep, cold, lymphatic drainage, allergy treatment and the right concealer; retinol and vitamin C give thicker, more even skin in three to six months. Pigment circles fade slowly and need daily sunscreen so they do not return. Shadows from tear troughs and bags are only partly influenced by self-care; there fillers or surgery are what give a big difference. Circles that are hereditary and have existed since childhood can be reduced but not removed completely.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I have dark circles under my eyes even though I sleep well?
Usually pigment (hereditary, worse with sun and rubbing), vessels showing through thin skin, or shadows from hollow tear troughs or bags, which increase with age. Pull the skin gently sideways: if the circle lightens it is vessels, if the colour moves with it it is pigment, if the shadow disappears it is shape. Allergy and a blocked nose worsen all types.
What helps quickly against dark circles?
Cold for a few minutes, lymphatic drainage and light face cupping around the eyes in the morning, allergy treatment if the nose is blocked, and peach-toned concealer under a skin-coloured one. In two weeks: sleeping on a higher pillow, less salt and alcohol in the evening, eye cream with caffeine or vitamin C and sunscreen every day.
Does face cupping help dark circles?
For vessel and swelling circles, yes: light cupping on the bony rim around the eye socket drains fluid and increases circulation so stagnant blood in the veins moves and the skin looks lighter. For pigment and shadows from volume loss it does little. Never on the eyelid, always the lightest suction.
Which cream helps dark circles?
For vessel circles: caffeine (constricts the vessels temporarily) and retinol or peptides (thicker skin over time). For pigment: vitamin C, niacinamide, azelaic acid and sunscreen. For swelling: cold and light massage matter more than the cream. No cream removes shadows from tear troughs.
Can dark circles be due to illness?
Sometimes: anaemia, thyroid disorders, allergy, eczema and chronic nasal congestion can cause or worsen circles. Circles that have come quickly together with tiredness, pallor, breathlessness or weight change are worth a blood test at your doctor's.
Sources
- 1177 Vårdguiden (Swedish national health guide), search for "allergisk snuva", "blodbrist" and "eksem" for medical causes that can worsen circles.
- Curam's FAQ and face cupping programs, developed with trained skin and massage therapists.
Related guides
- Fatigue – causes, blood tests and what helps
- Skincare routine morning and evening – with face cupping
- Tired eyes and screen fatigue – exercises, rest and cupping
Written by Curam. Last updated 17 October 2026. This is general self-care information and does not replace medical care. For sudden, severe or unusual symptoms, contact your doctor. Talk to your doctor before cupping if you are pregnant, take blood thinners or have a condition affecting skin, blood vessels or blood.
