I am 32 years old and have hereditary severe dark circles.

Your questions answered by our surgeon, Lucian Ion, FRCS(Plast)

Asked on 09 August 2012

Question

I am 32 years old and have hereditary severe dark circles, I have always had them and I am keen to get treatment, there is a groove as well as the purplish discolouration.

I am healthy and have a good diet and the circles never disappear regardless of the amount of sleep.

Please can you advise if this would be a treatable problem? If so, then I will arrange a consultation.

Answer

The degree to which this can be corrected depends on whether the contour is also somewhat hollow or not. In essence the problem of circles under the eyes is frequently a mixture of transparency of the very thin skin in the area which allows for visibility of the underlying muscle colour, and the shadow formed when people have a depression over the rim of the orbit. In darker skin, an element of pigmentation can also contribute.

In situations where there is hollowing, this can be improved using fat transfer or fillers.

For the colour itself, the treatment is more difficult and frequently incomplete, but may be pursued along the lines of laser treatment, chemical peels, or bleaching agents.

Mr Lucian Ion FRCS(Plast)
129 Harley Street
London
W1G 6BA