What causes eyes to look sunken?

Your eyes say so much about you! So you definitely don’t want to wake up in the morning to dark shadows and hollow space under your eyes. But if you do find yourself face-to-face with “sunken eyes,” the SiO Beauty experts are here to help.

Sunken Eyes: What They Are And Where They Come From

If you have sunken eyes, you’ll notice a hollow-looking space and dark shadows under your eyes or on your lower eyelids. The skin under your eyes might look especially thin, too. If you’re wondering where your sunken eyes came from, you might be able to blame your parents. Your eyes’ position in the eye socket is genetic and could leave you with a sunken look. Other causes can be serious problems, like a lack of nutrition or severe dehydration. But if none of that sounds like your situation and your sunken eyes have appeared recently, there are a few other factors that could be the culprit. First, a temporary condition like allergies or a sinus infection can contribute to sunken eyes. Aging could also have something to do with hollow-looking eyes. But let’s give aging a break for a minute — it takes the blame for a lot of things! So other than aging and temporary conditions, what are some of the typical causes of sunken eyes?

One potential cause is weight loss. Losing weight means that you also lose fat in your face, which can make your face in general, including your eyes, look more hollow — a surprising side effect! 

Two other factors that affect your eyes: not enough water and too many cigarettes! More on that later.

As you can see, there are many potential reasons the area around your eyes may appear dark and hollow. So what’s a girl to do?

How To Get Rid Of Sunken Eyes

If you want to avoid expensive office procedures like cosmetic surgery or dermal fillers, you’re in the right place. We’ve got a list of five ways to show some TLC to the delicate skin around your eyes from the comfort of your own home.

Before we get to the list, one word to those with a runny nose: if your sunken eyes are thanks to allergies or a sinus infection, talk to your doctor about eye drops, antihistamines, or antibiotics. Using a medication along with one of these tips could be just the ticket.

Without further ado, time to do away with sunken eyes!

1) Quit Smoking

At first glance, it might not seem like smoking has much to do with your sunken eyes. But it does! Smoking destroys collagen. Why does that matter? Because collagen is the protein that gives your skin shape and resilience. It provides the structure that keeps your skin from sagging.

That’s important for preventing eye wrinkles, but it’s also important when it comes to preventing and getting rid of sunken eyes.

2) Get Enough Sleep

Two things happen when you don’t sleep enough. First of all, you end up with dark circles under your eyes, which only makes sunken eyes look even worse. Secondly, the collagen in your skin takes a hit when you skimp on snoozing. Beauty sleep is real! Your sleeping hours are when your skin rebuilds itself so when you cut corners on sleeping, you cheat your skin out of much-needed strengthening.

Make sure you get a full night’s rest every night to get rid of your sunken eyes.

Beauty sleep is real! Make sure you get a full seven to nine hours of sleep every night to get rid of your sunken eyes.

A couple of tips for the best beauty sleep possible:

Get the most out of your sleeping hours by wearing SiO Beauty patches. You can wear them for a couple of hours during the day if your skin needs a boost, but make sure you wear them during the night so you can wake up to a smoother, healthier-looking face!

3) Use Sun Protection

What does sun protection have to do with sunken eyes? It all goes back to collagen (hang on, we’re almost done talking about this very important protein!).

Too much sun exposure can damage the collagen in your skin, leading to unwanted wrinkles and conditions like sunken eyes.

You probably know the drill about wearing sunscreen to protect your skin from the damaging rays of the sun. Armor up with a gentle face sunscreen and reapply frequently, especially if you’re in the water or you find yourself sweating.

True sun protection also includes wearing sunglasses, hats, and the like.

4) Stay Hydrated

You don’t have to be severely dehydrated for water intake to affect your eyes. To keep your skin hydrated and ward off sunken eyes, drink plenty of water and take it easy when it comes to caffeine and alcohol.

A super easy way to hydrate your skin is by wearing SiO Beauty patches. They draw moisture up from the lower levels of skin into the outside layer, leaving skin plump and hydrated.

5) Apply Skin-Healthy Oils Under Your Eyes

Oil up! Using a drop of oil on your skin is a great (and natural!) way to target the shadowy skin under your eyes. Plus, you’ve probably already got some of these oils in your kitchen.

Try coconut oil, castor oil, almond oil (especially good for skin health), olive oil, or avocado oil to reduce sunken eyes. You can also break open a capsule of fish oil to give your under-eye skin a healthy dose of those fatty acids.

Note: SiO patches must be applied to clean, dry skin with no product underneath. So if you choose to try the oil method along with SiO’s hydrating patches, be sure to alternate between the two.

Put a little extra thought into your skin care routine and work in healthy oils, an extra glass of water, sun protection, a little more sleep, and skin-smoothing SiO Beauty patches.

Whatever the cause of your sunken eyes, these tips will get you well on your way to a glowing face and gorgeous, younger-looking eyes!

“Sunken eyes” is another way of saying you have bags under your eyes.

Officially known as enophthalmos, sunken eyes make your eyes appear to have sunk into your face, making your face appear somewhat hollow.

Causes include a family history, dehydration and a lack of sleep.

What Are Sunken Eyes?

Sunken eyes is the colloquial expression of a medical condition call enophthalmos. Both are a way of saying that you have bags under your eyes.

Also known as tear troughs, sunken eyes are when hollows appear under the eyes. The soft skin under the eyes seems to move inwards, leaving a hollow.

This hollow usually looks darker than the rest of the skin. While this may not cause any vision problems, it can cause cosmetic concerns. Fortunately, there are several ways that doctors can rectify sunken eyes. 

Symptoms

The exact symptoms of sunken eyes may differ from one person to another. The most common symptoms are:

• A hollow below the eyes
• A shadow or darker appearance below the eyes
• Thin skin under the eyes, sometimes with visible blood vessels 
• Redness around the eye due to skin thinness 
• A sagging appearance on the lower eyelid 
• A fatigue appearance on the face 

Causes

Sunken eyes show up for various reason. Among them

• Aging
• Genetics
• Weight loss
• Dehydration
• Lack of sleep
• Medical conditions

Aging

As we age, we tend to lose collagen protein, which protein gives the body flexibility and strength. When protein levels decrease, skin thins and loosens.

Skin changes are most noticeable around the eyes because the skin is so soft in the face. When the skin lacks support, it moves inwards, creating a hollow.  

Genetics

There is such a thing as a young, healthy people with sunken eyes. But that is not the norm for this condition. Hollow eyes of young people typically stem from a family history of sunken eyes. 

Weight Loss

When you lose a lot of weight, fat reduces in all parts of your body. Your eyes will lose fat, too, and this can cause the skin around the eyes to become thin and move inwards. 

Dehydration 

Low levels of water in the body, or dehydration, makes your body cells lose their plumpness. Consequently, your skin becomes thin and loose. This change is noticeable under your eyes as sunken eyes. Children are more susceptible to bacteria and diseases that cause dehydration. Therefore, this trigger is more prevalent among children. 

Lack of Sleep

When you do not get enough sleep, you tend to wake up with dark circles under your eyes. If this is the reason for your appearance, the condition usually disappears after a few hours and after you have replenished your body with water and food.

Medical Conditions 

Certain medical conditions can cause sunken eyes. Among them are sinus infection, some types of cancer, HIV and thyroid disease. You can also develop sunken eyes as a result of an eye injury or eye surgery. 

Other causes of sunken eyes include trauma, lack of sleep, poor diet, smoking, exposure to the sun and allergies. 

Treatment

You can get rid of sunken eyes through treatment. Several options are available, including medical procedures and home remedies. Among them are:

• Dermal fillers
• Cosmetic surgery

Dermal Fillers 

Doctors use dermal fillers to restore lost volume under the skin and remove wrinkles. Many people prefer this treatment since it doesn’t involve surgery. Treatment involves injection below the eye to fill the hollow. Doctors use different types of fillers, but make sure the filler you get is FDA-approved.   

Cosmetic Surgery 

Cosmetic surgery involves using implants to fill up the hollow. This method provides a long-term solution, but it may require a longer recovery time. It’s a bit invasive but quite effective. 

Home Remedies

Home remedies you can try on sunken eyes are:

• Oils
• Hyaluronic serums and creams

Oils

Some types of oils can help keep your skin healthy. These include coconut oil, avocado oil, castor oil, olive oil, fish oil, and almond oil. Every night before you go to bed, apply the oil below your eyes and wash them off in the morning. 

Hyaluronic Serums and Creams 

Hyaluronic acid helps the skin stay hydrated. You can apply a cream that has this acid in the hollow areas. It acts like a sponge that holds water and keeps body cells plump. 

Complications of Sunken Eyes

Sunken eyes should not be a cause for medical concern. If you get them because of a family history or age, the hollow eyes will not indicate any health issue. However, you may get sunken eyes as a symptom of an underlying medical condition. In such a case, it’s best to seek medical attention to identify the specific cause. 

Prevention

Sunken eyes are preventable in some cases. You try to minimize the issue in a few ways:

• Drink a lot of water to stay hydrated and keep your cells plump.
• Get enough sleep. Adults generally need around eight hours of sleep a night.
• Maintain a healthy diet with a lot of vegetables to promote collagen production 
• Take vitamins, such as vitamin C or collagen supplements.
• Establish a skincare routine to minimize the dark shades under the eyes.
• Use almond oil to rejuvenate your skin and improve its appearance. 

When to See a Doctor

Having a sunken eye is reason enough to schedule a trip to the doctor. Any other symptoms are important and can help the doctor gain a clear understanding of what may be happening.

You should also see your doctor if:

• Your feel pain from an injury to the eye
• You have tried several home remedies, but your sunken eyes get worse with time
• Hollow eyes give you depression and anxiety

In the absence of acute trauma, doctors are likely to investigate the sunken eye carefully. A medical history, especially a recent one, is central to a potential diagnosis (and treatment).

References

Last Updated April 19, 2022

Note: This page should not serve as a substitute for professional medical advice from a doctor or specialist. Please review our about page for more information.