How to Get Rid of Dark Circles

Everyone occasionally suffers from dark circles under our eyes at some point. They are both unattractive and put years on our appearance. Whether due to fatigue, medical conditions, or a result of allergies, there are a few decent tips that can help minimise the effect.

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Steps

1- Prevention is the best cure. Get more sleep! Sleep deprivation is the number one reason that dark circles under our eyes become more noticeable! Avoid excessive alcohol or drugs that effect sleep patterns, and make attempts to lower your stress levels. A healthy diet will ensure that we receive an appropriate array of nutrients and so prevent skin discolouration, as well as minimising salt intake (excess salt can result in unbalanced water retention and may exasperate the ‘bags under the eyes’ look).

2- Try natural remedies as a first port of call. Natural remedies come in the classic form of cucumber slices over closed eyes (10-15 minutes a day whilst lying down), cool tea bags (tannin reduces swelling, again, 10-15 minutes daily over closed eyes), a liquidised uncooked potato (place pureed potato over each closed eyed for 30 minutes every few days and then wash off with warm water), or cold techniques such as rubbing away the swelling with a frozen spoon or ice cubes.

3- Next try cosmetic solutions. Eye creams containing vitamin K and retinol reduce discolouration and puffiness, whereas a carefully chosen foundation colour will disguise the dark circles should it not be possible to remove them.

4- If the problem persists, seek medical advice. Should none of the above be mitigating the effect, perhaps it’s time to consult a doctor? The dark circles under your eyes could be due to an underlying medical condition such as allergies (i.e. gluten intolerance), skin pigmentation issues, blocked sinuses, or over exposure to the sun. Bear in mind that you may simply be more susceptible to these kind of skin conditions due to your genetic make-up (dark circles under the eyes are common between parent and offspring). 

Tips

Again, prevention is the best cure. Eat well, drink plenty of water, exercise, sleep well and don’t stress! Wearing UV protective glasses will also protect your skin from melanin changes.

Although you are trying to reduce the swelling/puffiness under your eyes, overly rubbing them can actually damage the capillaries under this delicate skin and so make the problem worse.