People commonly think that a lack of sleep is the reason for someone developing dark eye circles. There are actually a variety of other contributing factors. These include:

• Ageing
• Genetics
• Smoking
• Exposure to sunlight

The skin around our eyes is much thinner than the rest of our body, hence any dark blood vessels under the skin become much more visible. Loss of fat and collagen around the area can also result in the area becoming hollow or shadowy.