A dark circle under the eyes is one thing that hits most of us at some point of our lives.
Age related skin queries mostly come with this additional problem of under eye dark circles, under eye puffiness or hollowness, besides the very common wrinkles and sagging.
But your struggle against the dark circles doesn’t need to be so despairing.
You can keep them at bay by knowing certain important facts about this problem-
Causes of Dark Circles
1.Age
Progressing age leads to loss of subtly plumping layer of fat that helps the under eye area appear more opaque.
The shadows caused by this hollowness that was once covered with fat, makes the area appear darker.
Also, over time, with age, skin loses its collagen and thins making the veins show more prominently and further resulting in under eye darkness.
2.Genetics
Sometimes the genes aren’t too favourable and you tend to carry dark circles from your family.
Some people are just more likely to have excessive melanin disposition or low levels of collagen under the eyes, all of which contributes to appearance of dark circles.
3.Sleep
The most common and classic cause of dark circles is not getting enough sleep or staying up late at night.
The reason being, only a good deep sleep leads to the rise in growth hormones, repairing the damaged skin cells. And this won’t occur without a stretch of deep sleep.
It will only accumulate the daily small breakdowns instead of reversing them.
Lack of sleep even causes the blood vessels under the eyes to dilate creating a darker tint under the eyes.
4.Sun Exposure
Under eye area is more sensitive than the surrounding areas and therefore tends to get effected easily by over-exposure to the sun-rays.
It tends to produce more melanin when exposed to UV rays leading dark circles around the eyes.
5.Allergies
Certain allergies like nasal allergies or congestions lead to congestion in the small veins under the eyes making these veins dilate and darken, further creating dark circles and puffiness around the eyes.
Lifestyle fixes to cure Dark circles
Though there is no miracle cure to completely banish the dark circles, you can still make some lifestyle improvements to avoid getting them worse.
- Try sleeping for 7 to 8 hours a day.
Give your skin a chance to heal itself.
Try it for a week and see if it makes a difference.
It surely will!
2. Avoid coffee
Caffeine is bad for circulation around the eyes. It constricts the blood vessels within the deepest layers of the skin, accentuating dark circles and puffiness around the eyes.
Instead, switch to green juice to bring in the nutrients to the skin and helping it detoxify off the impurities.
3.Massage around the eyes.
The best ways to do so is by using a jade roller that is refrigerated and cooled, gently rolling around the eye area.
It will push the blood closer to the surface of the skin and eliminate dark circles and puffiness.
4.Use a sunscreen
Many of my clients ask me if they can use sunscreen right under the eyes.
Well, that is where you require it the most.
So please don’t abandon the under eye area when you are slathering the sunscreen lotion on your face.
5.Get your vitamin game up
Certain times, it’s the vitamin deficiencies that lead to poor oxygenation of bodily tissues, restricting good blood circulation and leading to dark circles and puffiness around the eyes.
Check your Iron, B12 and Vitamin K status with your doctor and see if you need the supplements to support the best functioning of the body.
Top 4 ingredients to look for in your eye cream to treat Dark circles-
1.Niacinamide (to treat dark spots)
2.Vitamin E (To fight environmental stress to the eyes)
3.Anti-wrinkle peptides (To smooth the uneven creases and fine lines)
4. Green tea & Arnica (Compounds with natural antioxidant properties that help increase blood flow and reduce darkness causing swelling)
Under eye dark circles is a common problem in both genders typically after the age of 16.
If you make these simple lifestyle changes and be particular and aware of what skincare you are using, you can easily keep dark circles at bay.
And look your best, each day, everyday!