its associated with high cortisol levels and or poor sleep due to low melatonin levels. This is a generalization but it follows a Pareto distribution. It also is seen in people with very poor activation of their immune systems.......like low vit D and high US CRP

I've had 'em my whole life. I always get people telling me, "oh, you look so tired!" "you need to sleep more" and a few times people have thought i've been in a fight. Really sick of them and I've been on a pretty strict paleo regimen for over 2 years and have had no improvement whatsoever, so i doubt they're diet related at all. As Rose said above, they are definitely less noticeable when I'm more tan.

I have no idea if this applies to you, but when my son has low iron levels, he gets wicked dark circles under his eyes. A few days of iron supplements and they disappear. Have you had your iron levels checked?

I've read in many, many places that it is often due to food allergies or intolerances and I have found a correlation empirically as well. When I've eaten a verboten food, one of the first indicators is that I'll have dark circles under my eyes which can even look reddish/purplish when it's quite bad. It's generally accompanied by pinkness and angioedema around the eyes, making me look tired even when well-rested.

"Paleo" diets eliminate a lot of common allergens, such as peanuts, gluten, and sometimes dairy, etc. But plants are full of other toxins and many "paleo"-approved foods are quite allergenic/sensitizing. My dark circles only really go away if I'm eating a strict 5-10 or so foods, such as chicken, tallow, green beans, beef, eggs, cashews, rice. It's quite difficult to stick to so I'm generally somewhat dark-circled. However, the dark circles actually largely disappear when I am truly strict with my diet. Just my two cents.

i also had raccoon eyes for about a decade, the paleo diet did lighten them to a degree and then the remaining darkness is due entirely to the now very thin and highly folded skin being unable to refect as much light as smooth skin below the wrinkled skin.if you pull the skin taunt you will see the skin brighten to the same degree or better than the tissue below.

I do this just about every day. I also do exercises for my nose, jawline, brows and forehead. I've noticed a HUGE difference. You have to stick to it, but it's definitely worth it. Facial muscles are just like any others, and benefit from rigorous exercise and toning.

Facial exercises - Reduce eye wrinkles/puffiness

I get told almost daily how young I look, and when I tell people that I'm almost 30 they never believe me.

I had dark circles since forever. Whenever I put on makeup, conceler was the first thing use.

Now, if I put a little makeup on I don't bother with conceler because I no longer feel like a racoon. Not health related, but one of the best perks of eating a healthier diet.

My dark circles improved during the time I made lots of changes at once, so unfortunately I can't tell you what made the difference.

The interesting point here, is that people all think it is just they way you are. Genetic. But it actually had something to do with diet. There is some control.

I have inherited the dark circle look from my dad. I even have a baby picture of him with the same dark circles. However, they much improved when I removed grains, especially gluten, from my diet. It was one of the things that led me to gluten-free and eventually paleo. If I happen to eat gluten by accident now, besides the telltale migraine and even ulcers in my mouth, the dark circles return with a vengeance (but they never go away totally). It looks like someone gave me two black eyes. I'm not sure if the circles are darker or if the skin below gets puffy and accentuates the circles.

I thought i heard somwere that high blood pressure may also contribute. My dark circles are less dark now on paleo and with BP medication. I also am actively trying to get enough sleep as per T.S Wiley and Robb Wolf. Moderate exercise will help also.

My naturopath told me they are related to food intolerances, poor colon health, lack of Vit. D, and of course, sometimes you just inherit them. I have always had them, though I will say they improved once I was off gluten (as did my colon health!). No further improvement since going Paleo. I agree with the tanning statement, and I don't know if it's just a darkening of the skin, or because you've absorbed some Vit. D.

Hey, I have sometimes dark circles around my eyes too, my doctor told me it was because I am low in iron. So if you take an iron pill everyday you won't have that problem anymore. http://www.livestrong.com/article/316446-are-dark-circles-caused-by-lack-of-iron/ Click on this site and it'll teach you more about your dark circles. I take two iron pills when I start to see them and they go away by the next day. Trust me on this.

Might be nasal allergies

Other causes http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dark-circles-under-eyes/MY00346/DSECTION=causes

Giorgio Armani master corrector is an excellent product for dark circles but if it's to $$$ try Bobby Brown corrector. They both are great alone or under foundation.

Here are a few tips to deal with dark circles:

• Massage Vitamin E or almond oil around the eyes without touching the eyes (massage must strictly be external). This improves blood circulation.

• As a quick fix during parties, use a makeup concealer to hide the dark circle. But remember this is only a temporary solution.

• Get a lot of sleep. Sleeplessness is a culprit for most health problems. Have a set routine and have regular sleep timing. Make sure you get at least 8 hours of sleep.

• Drink lots of water. For anything related to health, water is still the best beverage.

• Grate raw potato, squeeze the juice and apply the juice under your eyes for 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can also place thin slices of potato on your eyes (with them closed) every night before you retire. This is one of the most popular and time-tested home remedies for dark circles.

• Include a lot of green leafy veggies in your diet. Also include food rich in Vitamin A and E.

• Indulge in some kind of exercise like walking, jogging. Yoga, especially pranayama is known to improve skin health.

• Take two thin slices of cucumber and place them on your eyes. This removes the puffiness and cools the eyes - Dip cotton in rose water and place them on your eyes.

• Reduce salt intake in your food. Excess salt encourages fluid retention and leads to puffy eyes.

• The area under your eyes has very sensitive skin, so never use chemical bleach.

• You can also place used tea bag (cold) on your eyes which helps lessen the darkness - Avoid exposing your skin to harsh rays of the sun. Especially for the eyes, wear sunglasses whenever you step out in the sun

• Apply any best eye cream for dark circles containing vitamin K and argiline. Dark circles may be caused by a deficiency of vitamin K. Regardless of the cause, however, skin creams containing these two ingredients reduce puffiness and discoloration significantly in many people. Long-term daily use seems to have the greatest effect.

Dark circles under eyes are caused by Gluten .A Gluten free diet will result in a lightening of the dark circles within days ....