How to Remove Under Eye Dark Circles – There are many possible reasons for under-eye circles and that is why I’m keeping this post super simple. Mainly because the causes of under-eye darkness are very personal. For example, some people suffer from it due to hereditary reasons. While others experience it because their job demands long hours with little sleep. Which means, losing under-eye circles at home is not easy. It can take several days to weeks depending on the cause of your dark circles and your lack of sleep. It might even be a few months for others!
Dark circles under eyes can make one look older and tired. Many of us might be facing this problem and looking for the best cure. Well, here we share few tips to get rid of dark circles naturally.
Pandas are cute, aren’t they? But not if you are starting to look like one. And these days it’s almost hard to meet a person who isn’t experiencing this hurdle to achieving beautiful and healthy skin. Made worse by the looming pandemic days that are nothing short of a dark period in our lives, these tenacious dark circles are only worsening with almost little to no sleep schedules, endless uncertainty and the worst of all stress. But did you know that while we all have this one big problem to deal with there’s another? Not all dark circles are the same, and hence there’s no one-size-fits-all approach that will work to make your skin look healthy.
The skin around the eyes is not only extremely sensitive but quite thin and delicate as compared to other parts of the body. So many changes happening within the deeper layers of the skin will start showing like a mirror on the outer surface.
With all that said, it’s not all that impossible to treat them. Here is all that we decoded about dark circles to help you out of our collective misery.
Dark circles under the lower eyelids are common in men and women. Often accompanied by bags, dark circles can make you appear older than you are. To make matters worse, they can be difficult to get rid of.
Though they can affect anyone, dark circles are most common in people who:
- are elderly
- have a genetic predisposition to this condition (periorbital hyperpigmentationTrusted Source)
- are from non-white ethnic groups (darker skin tones are more prone to hyperpigmentation around the eye area)
While fatigue may seem like the most logical explanation for this condition, there are a number of factors that can contribute to dark circles under the eyes. In most cases, they are no cause for concern and do not require medical attention. Read on to learn more.
Table of Contents
What causes dark circles?
There are a number of contributing factors for dark circles. Some common causes of include:
Fatigue
Oversleeping, extreme fatigue, or just staying up a few hours past your normal bedtime can cause dark circles to form under your eyes. Sleep deprivation can cause your skin to become dull and pale, allowing for dark tissues and blood vessels beneath your skin to show.
Lack of sleep can also cause fluid to build underneath your eyes, causing them to appear puffy. As a result, the dark circles you see may actually be shadows cast by your puffy eyelids.
Age
Natural aging is another common cause of those dark circles beneath your eyes. As you get older, your skin becomes thinner. You also lose the fat and collagen needed to maintain your skin’s elasticity. As this occurs, the dark blood vessels beneath your skin become more visible causing the area below your eyes to darken.
Eye strain
Staring at your television or computer screen can cause significant strain on your eyes. This strain can cause blood vessels around your eyes to enlarge. As a result, the skin surrounding your eyes can darken.
Allergies
Allergic reactions and eye dryness can trigger dark circles. When you have an allergic reaction, your body release histamines as a response to harmful bacteria. Other than causing uncomfortable symptoms — including itchiness, redness, and puffy eyes — histamines also cause your blood vessels to dilate and become more visible beneath your skin.
Allergies can also increase your urge to rub and scratch the itchy skin around your eyes. These actions can worsen your symptoms, causing inflammation, swelling, and broken blood vessels. This can result in dark shadows beneath your eyes.
Dehydration
Dehydration is a common cause of dark circles under your eyes. When your body is not receiving the proper amount of water, the skin beneath your eyes begins to look dull and your eyes look sunken. This is due to their close proximity to the underlying bone.
Sun overexposure
Overexposure to the sun can cause your body to produce an excess of melanin, the pigment that provides your skin with color. Too much sun — particularly for your eyes — can cause pigmentation in the surrounding skin to darken.
Genetics
Family history also plays a part in developing dark circles under your eyes. It can be an inherited trait seen early in childhood, and may worsen as you age or slowly disappear. Predispositions to other medical conditions — such as thyroid disease — can also result in dark circles beneath your eyes.
How to Remove Under Eye Dark Circles
Treatment
At-Home treatments
Treatment for dark eye circles depends on the underlying cause. However, there are some home remedies that can help manage this condition. Some of the more common methods include:
1. Get enough sleep
A 2017 study published in Royal Society Open Science examined the effects of sleep deprivation on appearance and found that people who slept four hours had more visible dark circles under the eyes when compared to those who slept for eight hours.
“Lack of sleep can contribute to darker blood vessels as well as fluid buildup under the eyes resulting in a dark shadow,” says Karly O’Keefe, an esthetician and owner of the facial treatment center, SkincraftLA in Los Angeles.
Not getting enough sleep can also increase stress, which can exacerbate dark circles.
Important: Aim for at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night to help reduce the appearance of dark circles.
2. Try a cold compress
A cold compress can help reduce swelling and shrink dilated blood vessels, which — if those blood vessels are the ones under your eyes — can lessen the appearance of dark circles, says Michele Green, MD, a cosmetic dermatologist who runs her own practice in New York City.
To try this at home, wrap a few ice cubes in a clean washcloth, and then apply the washcloth to your eyes for three to five minutes. You can also wet a washcloth with cold water and place it on the skin under your eyes using gentle pressure for about 20 minutes. You can also use eye gel masks which can be left in the freezer until ready for use. Apply for 10 minutes.
3. Elevate your head while sleeping
If you wake up with dark circles, try elevating your head while you sleep.
This will keep fluid from pooling under your eyes overnight and prevent swelling, inflammation, and puffiness the next morning, O’Keefe says. Puffy and inflamed eyes can create shadows beneath your lower lid, giving the appearance of dark circles.
Quick tip: Try doubling up your pillows to elevate your head while sleeping.
4. Apply tea bags
A cool tea bag can also help with inflammation, O’Keefe says. This is because tea contains caffeine and antioxidants which help shrink blood vessels, stimulate blood circulation, and reduce puffiness.
To try this method, put used tea bags in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes and then apply them to your eyes for 30 minutes. O’Keefe recommends green tea because its caffeine content constricts the capillaries and blood vessels under your eyes that tighten the skin.
5. Try cucumbers
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Cucumbers contain vitamin K , which can reduce dark circles under the eyes by strengthening blood vessel walls. This makes blood vessels less visible under thinner skin. While they likely won’t completely get rid of dark circles, cucumbers may help lessen their appearance, Green says.
To try this at home, cut a fresh cucumber into medium to thick slices, and refrigerate them for 30 minutes. Then place them on your eyes for 10 to 15 minutes twice a day. You can do this a few times a week. The cool cucumbers also act as a cold compress.
6. Take allergy medicine
Itchy red eyes associated with allergies can contribute to dark circles. That’s because when you rub them they become irritated and puffy, creating shadows.
Taking an antihistamine can help reduce allergy symptoms that may exacerbate the presence of dark circles, Green says. But this is only effective if allergies are the cause of your dark circles. It is not recommended to take an antihistamine if you are not suffering from allergies.
7. Ask your dermatologist about fillers
Fillers add volume under the eyes to reduce the appearance of shadows or under-eye hollowing, O’Keefe says.
The process involves small injections of fluid — typically hyaluronic acid — under the eyes to lift the surface of the skin. This puts space between the skin and underlying blood vessels to reduce the appearance of dark circles under the eyes. This is done in a medical office with local anesthesia.
8. Try skin brighteners
Over-the-counter skin brighteners which can be purchased in serum, gel, or cream formats can remove dull skin cells and increase radiancy, says Green. Opt for products that contain vitamin C or niacinamide which can improve the appearance of dark circles caused by excessive melanin production. This can be applied twice a day in the morning and in the evening.
Other skin brighteners — such as retinoids or vitamin A — aren’t recommended to use directly under the eye as they can lead to irritation, O’Keefe says.
Medical treatments
For a more effective and permanent solution, some medical treatments are available to reduce the appearance of dark circles. Some of the more common methods include:
- chemical peels to reduce pigmentation
- laser surgery to resurface the skin and enhance skin tightening
- medical tattoos to inject pigment into thinning skin areas
- tissue fillers to conceal blood vessels and melanin that are causing skin discoloration beneath your eyes.
- fat removal to remove excess fat and skin, revealing a smoother and more even surface
- surgical implants of fat or synthetic products
Before deciding on any cosmetic procedure, discuss your options with a doctor. Invasive medical treatments can be expensive, painful, and often require a long recovery time.
Conclusion
Dark circles under the eyes is a problem that affects most people. The process begins with aging and gradually dark circles start to appear which can make you look older than your age. Some of the most common causes of dark circles under the eyes include late night work, stress, being on a diet, allergies and so on.