Dark Circles Under the Eyes

Dark circles under the eyes can appear through a lack of regular sleep, through stress, through severe fatigue and in similar situations. Under-eyes that look poor cosmetically may be genetic, and they can also appear alongside certain health conditions. Whenever you look in the mirror while tired, you may notice that your under-eyes look darker than usual. Long journeys, a decline in quality of life and heavy stress can also play a part. It is not only stress and fatigue: dark circles can also be met where a person is not eating healthily. Dark circles are usually not a medical problem; if they appear under one eye only or with marked swelling, see a doctor. Certain kidney conditions can also lead to dark circles forming. Fatigue and lack of sleep contribute to dark circles, but the main cause is usually heredity and skin structure.

Why Do Dark Circles Form?

Why dark circles form is among the subjects most widely looked into by those who meet this problem. Dark circles can be darker than the normal colour of the skin, and purple or brown in tone. Clinically, dark circles are classified as pigmented (brown), vascular (blue and purple), structural or shadowed (a hollow in the tear trough), or mixed, and the approach to treatment varies with the type. Conditions such as hyperpigmentation also play a part in dark circles forming. Genetic causes, excessive exposure to sunlight, not sleeping enough, alcohol dependence and smoking can all lead to them too, and they can form according to ethnic characteristics as well. In hyperpigmentation there is a build-up of melanin, or of haemosiderin, in the skin under the eye. If the skin is thin, the vessels beneath become more visible, and narrowing of the vessels is not expected. In this situation the under-eye looks hollow or darker. It is observed particularly in people of African and Asian origin. In terms of genetic structure, the under-eyes are thin, so the vessels are more prominent, which can make the under-eye look darker than the normal skin tone. The situations that lead to dark circles are not limited to these. Their formation may be connected to other causes. Some of them can be listed as follows:

• Smoking and alcohol consumption
• Allergic conditions
• Hyperpigmentation
• Hay fever
• Genetic predisposition
• Eczema
• Not sleeping enough, and fatigue
• Contraceptive medication
• Heart conditions
• Pregnancy
• Liver and kidney disease
• Eating very salty food
• Too much exposure to the sun
• Constant rubbing of the eyes
• The changes seen in the skin with ageing
• Uneven skin tone
• Problems with the thyroid glands
• Iron deficiency
• Medication and drops used for glaucoma
• Loss of fluid from the body (dehydration)
• Blocked sinuses

Treatment for Dark Circles

Treatment for dark circles under the eyes varies with the reasons they formed. Although these methods are applied where the situation can be treated, people normally free themselves of it with solutions they apply themselves. There are various answers to the question of how dark circles clear or are treated. Dark circles can also be treated medically, although the common solutions applied at home are very popular too. The methods that work best are:

• Regular sleep: regular sleep prevents a great many complaints. If the cause of the dark circles is fatigue and lack of sleep, a sleep routine must be established and enough sleep taken. Using a pillow and sleeping in the right position reduce dark circles.
• Healthy eating: in situations such as iron or vitamin deficiency, darkening under the eyes is in fact a warning. If you eat regularly and healthily and look after your body, it will show in your appearance.
• Cold compress: cold compresses can help dark circles to clear by narrowing the blood vessels.
• Cucumber: you can place cucumber cut into rounds on your eyes. Cucumber is very rich in vitamin C and water, so it moisturises and nourishes your under-eyes.
• Tea bags: you can place the bags you use to brew herbal or ordinary tea on your eyes to reduce swelling and darkness. Teas such as green tea in particular can lighten the tone of the under-eye and even it with your skin colour. Tea bags should be cooled before being applied to the eyes; you can keep them in the fridge and then apply them.
• Make-up: make-up is a temporary solution for concealing under-eyes in daily life. If your under-eyes trouble you a great deal and you do not want to look tired, you can cover the dark circles temporarily with cosmetic products such as concealer. For a natural look, it matters that you choose concealers that do not gather in the pores and that set well.
• Skincare products: there are a great many cosmetic products for clearing dark circles. You can be free of a dark under-eye appearance with the products most suited to your skin type.

Who Gets Dark Circles?

Questions such as who gets dark circles under the eyes, or in what situations they form, are among the most popular. Dark circles both make you look tired and can become something that cuts you off from social life. There is no need to worry, however, because many solutions exist, both temporary and lasting. Dark circles appear in people with a genetic predisposition, and in those who are heavily stressed, tired, not sleeping well, not eating a balanced diet and consuming harmful substances such as alcohol. If you have dark circles, consulting a specialist dermatologist first matters. Specialist skin doctors can examine your skin and identify the cause. If it is not connected to another health problem, they will recommend the products you need. By using them correctly and regularly you can free yourself of dark circles over time. Alongside the methods given above, the following can also be applied under specialist supervision:

• Topical vitamin C serum
• Topical vitamin K cream
• Chemical peeling (by a specialist)
• Azelaic acid
• Filler (in situations such as thinning of the skin)
• Laser to remove dark circles
• Sun protection and retinoids: creams containing SPF and low dose retinoid or retinaldehyde products help to reduce pigmented darkening.
• Surgery

What is Good for Eye Inflammation? Although there are many methods for clearing dark circles, approaches such as surgery should be used as a last resort. Otherwise they can lead to greater problems later. Darkening that forms with age cannot be cleared with natural methods, but a dark appearance can be prevented with filler and similar approaches.