You’ve had a full night’s sleep, drank plenty of water, and still, those shadows under your eyes won’t budge. If that sounds familiar, you’re probably dealing with genetic tear troughs—not just typical eye bags. These hollows sit low under the eyes, starting from the inner corners and running down toward the cheeks. They don’t really puff up or disappear with rest, and chances are, you’ve seen the same thing on a parent or sibling. They usually become more noticeable in your mid-twenties, when the natural ageing process starts to show around the eyes. As fat shifts and volume is lost, the skin around the eyes, especially in the tear trough area starts to thin and sink. That’s when shadows show up more easily, especially in bright or uneven lighting. Dark circles from tear troughs tend to look deeper, more like a hollow than a smudge of colour. Eye creams and good sleep might help with puffiness, but they won’t fix lost volume or the way light hits those grooves. That’s because genetic tear troughs are mostly about structure, not just surface. If concealer never really does the trick and the under eye area still looks tired no matter what you do, keep reading. We’ll cover what causes them, why they’re different from regular eye bags, and what can actually help.
