Dark circles around the eyes: Reasons and solutions

Wellbeing

Between pulling all-nighters to work on your dream project and forgetting to drink water, your under-eye area has turned into a canvas. The area may appear as shades of blue, purple, brown, or black. While dark circles aren’t symptoms of a medical problem, you might want to get rid of them for cosmetic reasons. 

If your eyes have started to resemble a panda, take a deep breath and read this guide till the end. Here are common reasons for dark circles around the eyes and solutions you can explore to get your spark back.

Reasons for dark circles

Dark circles can occur due to many reasons, including:

  • Aging: As you age, the skin around your eyes thins and loses fat and collagen. As a result, the dark blood vessels under your eyes become more visible. This can make you look more tired or older than you actually are. 
  • Sleep Deprivation: Just as aging makes your skin pale and translucent, lack of sleep does pretty much the same thing. In some cases, sleep deprivation causes fluid retention, leading to puffy eyelids. Dark circles are actually the shadows cast by puffy eyelids.
  • Excessive Sun Exposure: Remember all those times you didn’t apply sunscreen because you were running late? Well, they’re catching up to you now. Excessive UV exposure can lead to hyperpigmentation, making your dark circles more prominent.
  • Lifestyle Factors: Certain lifestyle choices, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and high stress levels, can lead to dark circles. 
  • Dehydration: When your body isn’t hydrated well, your skin appears more dull and sunken, especially the under-eye area. 
  • Genetics: Some studies argue that dark circles can be part of a family’s genetics.

Care and treatment

Now that you know what causes dark circles, let’s consider what you can do about them:

  • Make Some Lifestyle Changes: Adopting healthy habits, such as getting at least seven hours of sleep, eating a nutrient-rich diet, and reducing smoking, can lighten dark circles around the eyes.
  • Home Remedies: Surprisingly, dark circles can be reduced with some home remedies. This includes applying a cold compress to the skin around your eyes, elevating your head with some extra pillows, and placing cold tea bags under your eyes. All of these help increase blood circulation, so you look more awake.
  • Topical Creams: They consist of ingredients like vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, caffeine, retinol, and vitamin K to help lighten the appearance of dark circles. Applying an under eye cream is one of the easiest ways to nourish the skin around your eyes and ensure firmness. Always buy skincare products from a trusted brand like Clarins. 
  • Medical Treatments: If your under-eye area bears the marks of years of sleep deprivation and poor hydration, you can consider medical treatments. Chemical peels, laser therapy, and tissue fillers all help conceal melanin, giving your skin a natural glow.

Preventing dark circles

Preventing dark circles isn’t always possible. But there are measures you can take to reduce their likelihood. This includes:

  • Wearing sunblock
  • Getting adequate sleep
  • Finding ways to manage stress, such as meditation or yoga
  • Quit smoking