What are dark circles under your eyes? The area of skin below your eyes looks darkened, tired or older than you are.
Who do dark circles under the eyes affect? They affect people of all ages, races and sexes. They are more common in people with darker skin tones or elderly people with a family history of dark circles under their eyes.
What causes dark circles under your eyes?
One of the most common causes is aging: as you age, the skin below your eyes begins to darken, thin and loosen. Hollowed areas called tear troughs may develop as well: they cause shadows that increase the appearance of puffy eyes.
Genetics
Dermatitis (eczema) and contact dermatitis can cause the blood vessels under your eyes to dilate and show through your skin.
Rubbing and scratching your eyes can cause your under eyes to swell and your blood vessels to break.
Poor sleeping habits cause the skin under your eyes to appear pale.
Too much sun exposure triggers your body to produce melanin which darken the skin.
Dehydration: when you don’t drink enough water, the skin under your eyes can start to look dull.
Lifestyle factors such as stress, alcohol and smoking can cause dark circles under your eyes.
What can I do at home to treat dark circles under my eyes?
Get more sleep: try to get at least seven hours of sleep each night.
Use more pillows: lift your head with extra pillows to prevent fluid from collecting under your eyes at night.
Cold compress: apply cold to your eyes to help shrink dilated blood vessels.
Facials by massage treatment can improve blood circulation around the eyes.
Makeup: use a concealer to blend the color of your skin to cover your dark circles.
What medical treatment options are available to treat dark circles under the eyes?
Topical bleaching creams with vitamin C and kojic/azelaic acid can lighten the appearance of dark circles under your eyes.
Chemical peels: alpha/beta-hydroxy acids reduce the pigmentation under your eyes.
Laser therapy: QSwitch laser can lighten your skin.
Carboxytherapy treatment can increase the blood circulation and lighten the area under your eyes.
