Dark circles under the eyes tend to age us more
than wrinkles or gray hair.[1]Discoloration of
the under-eye skin affects many of us from time
to time. For others, the dark circles can persist
as a long-term feature, sometimes as a result of
an illness, but often as a result of allergies,
inadequate sleep, and even heredity. Whatever the
cause, you can still minimize the appearance of
dark circles under your eyes; in some cases,
you'll even be able to remove the circles
completely. Try out some of the cures offered
below, to find your favorite.
!! Steps !!
Assess the cause of your black circles before
attempting to remedy them. If you need to seek
treatment for an underlying health condition,
this needs to be your first priority. If having
dark circles under your eyes is something that
is prolonged and not just the result of
overdoing things the night before, consider
seeing a doctor to discuss the possible causes.
Some things that might be causing your under-eye
discoloration include:
* Allergies – Allergies are a common cause of skin discoloration
under the eyes.[2] If allergies are the root of your problem,
treat the allergy, or remove the allergen (namely, the thing to
which you're allergic). Seasonal allergy problems such as the hay
fever can frequently be effectively treated with over-the-counter
and prescription medications. For other allergies, the best course
of action is usually avoidance. If your dark circles or puffiness
are constant, you may have an undetected food allergy or an
allergy to a chemical in your home or workplace. Talk to a
dermatologist for help determining what you may be allergic to.
People with allergies also tend again to be deficient in B6, folic
acid, and B12 on occasion. Taking a multivitamin, if you don't
already, may help with your allergies as well as black circles.
* Gluten intolerance – Another common allergy that causes dark
circles is gluten, which is an allergy to wheat flour in
particular. More severely, you could have celiac disease. To test
for celiac disease, have blood tests performed by your doctor.
It's important to remember, however, that you can be gluten
intolerant, and not have celiac disease.
* Build-up of inadequate sleep[3] – If you've been under a lot of
stress, or you have insomnia or sleep apnea, your skin will
reflect your lack of sleep by looking poorly, including
discoloration.
* Nasal congestion – a blocked nose can result in dark circles
under your eyes because the veins that drain from your eyes to
your nose are darkened and dilated.[4]
* Pigmentation irregularities – These can cause darker circles
under the eyes.
* Sun exposure – This can increase melanin production.[5]
* Thinning from age – Aging thins the skin, making veins and
vessels more obvious as your fat and collagen depletes over
time.[6]
* Lifestyle factors – Poor nutrition, excess alcohol consumption,
too many caffeinated drinks, cigarette smoking, and lack of
exercise can all contribute to under-eye discoloration. Consider
seeing a nutritionist or dietician if you're concerned about
dietary issues.
* Heredity – Establish whether or not this condition runs in your
family, as under-eye dark circles are believed to frequently be
hereditary.[7] This doesn't mean that you can't do anything
about the conditions, but you should be prepared for minimal
success when trying to get rid of them.
* Your facial features – Dark circles may be as simple as shadows
being thrown by your own features.[8] There isn't much you can do
change this other than careful use of cosmetics.
* Choose a remedy. There are various remedies
available. Not all of them will work, or even be appealing to you,
but it's important that you try what you think applies to your
situation. It might be most helpful to work through various
remedies and combine or discard what does and does not work for
you.
Cucumber Therapy Try a natural remedy. A natural remedy is simply
one from household or garden items that have served other people
well in the past.
* Slice cucumber into thick slices. Cucumber slices have long been
used to reduce puffiness and refresh the appearance of skin around
the eyes, providing a fast "pick-me-up" for tired and puffy eyes.
Place a slice over each eye, extending over the darkened area. Do
this daily, coupled with lying down for 10-15 minutes. Keep your
eyes closed.
* Apply cool tea bags or an ice cube wrapped in soft cloth to your
eyes daily. The tannin in tea bags reduces swelling and
discoloration. Lie down, preferably in the morning, and leave
fresh the cool, damp caffeinated tea bags (you can refrigerate
them overnight so they'll be ready) over your eyes for about
10-15 minutes. Keep your eyes closed.
* Pour a saline solution (2 cups water with a 1/4 teaspoon of sea
salt[9] and/or a half tea-spoon of baking soda) in one of your
nostrils with your head tilted to the side so that the water comes
out the other nostril. It's best used when you're experiencing
nasal congestion.
* Use a potato. Place one uncooked potato into a liquidizer and
liquidize the whole potato. Scoop out and place the pureed potato
on your closed eyes .Keep it there for 30 minutes, lying on your
back, then wash it off with warm water. This method works well for
some people.
Bloodshot EyeGet your beauty sleep. Get plenty of sleep nightly.
It's not entirely clear why inadequate sleep results in dark
circles under the eyes, but lack of sleep tends to cause the
skin to become paler (thus increasing the appearance of darkness
under the eyes), and reduces circulation.[10] It's also
believed that too little time lying down is a cause in itself.
* Determine how much sleep you need (it's usually 7-9 hours per
night, but varies for different people at different times
throughout their lives). Try to get that amount regularly for a
couple of weeks to see if that helps.
* Alcohol and drugs can adversely affect the quality of your sleep;
abstain from these products or use only in moderation for best
results.
* Get adequate vitamins that assist sleep. A lack of sleep, coupled
with poor vitamin absorption tends to reduce adrenal function. The
less adrenal function you have the less B6 you tend to absorb, the
less B6 you absorb, the less well your adrenal glands function and
you end up in a vicious circle. Sleep, regular vitamins where
lacking, and good calcium/magnesium support in the form of eating
a lot of greens (which are higher in calcium and magnesium than
dairy products), or good mineral supplement restores adrenal
function.
* Reduce your stress to help you to sleep more.
Eat well. Eat a healthy, balanced diet, take
vitamins, and drink plenty of water. A whole
host of cosmetic problems can be attributed to
vitamin deficiencies. Dark circles and
puffiness are often attributed to lack of
vitamin K or inadequate antioxidants. Also, a
deficiency in B12 (usually anemia-related) can
result in dark circles.
* Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables—especially cabbage, spinach,
and other leafy green vegetables—and take a daily vitamin
supplement if necessary. Get adequate fluids to improve
circulation.
* Reduce salt intake. Excess salt causes the body to retain water in
unusual places, and this can result in puffiness under the eyes.
Too much salt can also impair your circulation, and cause the
blood vessels under the skin to appear bluer.
Use cosmetic solutions. There are a number of
ways to cover up dark circles under eyes using
cosmetics. It's important to test the cosmetics
for allergic reactions before using them if you
haven't already done so: try a skin patch test
first. Cease using anything that irritates your
skin, causes rashes, or makes your eyes sore or
watery.
* Apply an eye cream containing vitamin K and retinol. Dark circles
may be caused by a deficiency of vitamin K. Regardless of the
cause, however, skin creams containing these two ingredients
reduce puffiness and discoloration significantly in many people.
Long-term daily use seems to have the greatest effect.[11]
* Use an under-eye cream. Use a concealer which will camouflage the
darkness under your eyes. This type of makeup can help cancel out
the under-eye circles. It's important to use a concealer that
matches your under tone (namely, yellow, peach (for bluish
circles), tan, light brown, etc.) After applying, set the
concealer with a light dusting of translucent powder.
* Treat your skin while you sleep. There are overnight facial
masques available that may help reduce the appearance of puffiness
or discoloration, or you can make your own. And try this simple
remedy: just before going to bed, take a piece of cloth and wet it
a little with cold water. Squeeze out any excess water and place
it over your eyes as you sleep.
Don't rub the eyes!Focus directly on the under-eye skin. Keep in
mind that any direct contact with your under-eye skin must be
gentle, as this is the most delicate skin on your body.
* Try to relax the space. Wet a cotton swab, then freeze it a short
time. Then, gently wipe under your eyes in the areas where the
circles are occurring. When wiping, close your eyes and try not to
flinch.
* Avoid rubbing your eyes. Usually rubbing of the eyes is brought on
by allergies, but not always, as it can also be an anxious habit,
or a reflex action. Regardless of the reason, it's best to stop
doing it because the rubbing irritates the skin and can break tiny
capillaries beneath the skin, causing both puffiness and
discoloration.[12]
* Wear dark sunglasses to protect your skin from melanin
changes.[13]
* Smoking doesn't do your eyes any favorsExamine your smoking
habit and decide to quit. Smoking causes vascular (blood vessel)
problems that can not only threaten your life, but also make your
blood vessels appear more prominent and bluer beneath the skin.
* Relax more. Relaxing might help remove
sources of stress and anxiety that are preventing you from
sleeping, eating, and resting properly. In turn, relaxing enough
will help your eye skin to improve as you feel less stressed and
more at ease. Skin tends to reflect a whole host of emotional as
well as physical ailments, so don't dismiss the need to relax
lightly.
!! Video !!
!! Tips !!
* A dermatologist is your best bet for long-term fixes when other
fixes aren't working out (provided you've confirmed with your
doctor that it's not about having any underlying health
conditions).[14]
* Try drinking at least two glasses of cranberry juice a day. You
will need to do this for at least a week before you start noticing
a difference.
* Food allergies and sensitivities play a major part in under-eye
circles; try avoiding processed foods with artificial colors and
preservatives, as well as milk.
* The ingredient in Preparation H that once could shrink the area
around the eyes is no longer put in the product in the US,
according to their website, so unless you live in Canada, just
pass on the Hemorrhoid creams.
* Cutting onions can help you to cry out some of the moisture under
and around your eyes. However it isn't recommended that you carry
out this procedure daily but done short-term, it may reduce the
darkness under the eyes somewhat. Using the tea bag method under
your eyes straight afterward also helps. The puffiness may not
reduce immediately but it will shortly.
* Dark circles may be caused by inflamed or enlarged veins beneath
the skin. Try taking butcher's broom. Taken daily, this common
herb (used to treat weak circulation, hemorrhoids and varicose
veins) has been effective in reducing dark circles.
* Wear sunscreen under your eyes, and if you wear it all the time,
try to put a stronger SPF under your eyes than you do on your
face. This way, the skin under your eyes does not darken as
quickly as the rest of your face; so your circles seem lighter. If
you do this all year, you may end up not needing concealer at all.
Do your research, however, as not everyone is convinced in the
healthiness of sunscreen preparations.
* Try eye exercises. These can rejuvenate your periorbital skin by
improving circulation.
* Treating your skin may help, but the real problem may also be that
you have a poor vitamin and mineral absorption problem that needs
to be corrected. Seeing a naturopathic physician may help if
you're suffering from other ailments such as miscellaneous aches
and pains that come and go and experience a general run-down
feeling.
!! Warnings !!
* Be careful as to the type of teabag you use. If you have
allergies, a tea bag full of chamomile may cause your eyes to
swell. Avoid herbal tea bags and stick with regular, tannin tea.
* Avoid scented cosmetic products.
* Avoid any concealers or creams that contain salicylic or glycolic
acid. These can upset delicate eye tissue and you risk looking
like a panda.
* Do not apply ice or extremely cold water directly to the skin
around the eyes for more than a few seconds.
* Don't forget to wash the your eyes after trying any of the natural
or product methods.
* Exercise caution when using a new cosmetic product or trying a
home remedy. If the condition worsens, or if you exhibit other
symptoms, discontinue use immediately and contact your primary
care physician or dermatologist for severe or persisting symptoms.
* Consult a physician before considering using any expensive or
invasive treatments. Not all eye circles are formed equally, and
understanding and discussing the root causes of your dark circles
with a qualified professional will ensure you don't waste your
money.
* Wear sunscreen daily, but if you usually don't apply sunscreen to
your face, never forget under your eyes. As your skin picks up
color, the dark areas seem to fade because they are not getting as
tan as the surrounding skin. When you go to the beach apply
numerous times during the day. Eventually most using this
technique won't need concealer and you are protecting your skin
from sun damage. However, do your research on the content of
sunscreen products, as some products can be harmful to your
health.
* Don't be disappointed – be patient instead, as it may take a
while for the dark circles to disappear, especially where you need
to make dietary and sleep changes.
* When using a cold spoon, do *not* stick it in the freezer and
place directly under your eyes. Your eye vision can get blurry and
you might have a slight headache.
* Make sure you are not allergic to any of these methods before
using them.
!! Things You\'ll Need !!
* Healthy foods
* Vitamin supplements (optional, discuss with doctor)
* Cosmetics (optional)
* Natural ingredients for home remedies (cucumber, tea bags, salt,
baking soda, etc.)
* Soft face washer, small towel
* Eye cover or mask for total relaxation
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Cure Puffy Eyes
* How to Fall Asleep
* How to Sleep Better
* How to Drink More Water Everyday
* How to Prevent Wrinkles
* How to Exercise Your Eyes
* How to Take Care of Your Eyes
* How to Apply Mineral Makeup
* How to Apply Scene Eye Makup
* How to Get Lush Lips
!! Sources And Citations !!
* 5min,
http://www.5min.com/Video/Get-rid-of-puffy-eyes-in-the-morning-6567
- A video on how to get rid of puffy eyes in the morning. 5min is
a videopedia for instructional videos. Source of images in this
article, shared with permission.
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
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