Causes of Dark circles/Puffy Eyes
Although lack of sleep is one of the main reasons for the appearance of dark circles underneath your eyes, this is not the only reason. The other causes for dark circles include:
Genetics/ Heredity:
You may be more prone to dark circles if it is in your genes. You may have very pale skin naturally and the broken capillaries or dark pigmentation may show more clearly because of this. Dark under-eye circles can run in families
Pigmentation irregularities:
These are a particular concern for people of color.
Sun exposure:
Prompts your body to produce more melanin.
Aging:
The skin under the eyes is thin and delicate, to begin with. As we grow older, the skin around the eyes becomes thinner making blood vessels more prominent, causing dark circles. Overconsumption of salt: causing fluid retention.
Allergies:
Rubbing and scratching the skin causing inflammation and swelling Sinus problems.
Dehydration:
When the body does not have a proper amount of water, the symptoms are often evident in this specific area. Thus it is advisable to have at least 8-10 glasses of water and include fresh fruit daily.
Broken capillaries:
Since the skin underneath your eyes is the thinnest, the capillaries behind this skin are bound to breaking either because of sun damage or stress. When this happens the blood cells gather under the surface of your skin and tend to get oxidized. This will give the skin under your eyes, a dark purple hue
Stress, Fatigue, and lack of sleep:
A lack of sleep or excessive tiredness results in pale skin, making blood under the skin become more visible and appear bluer or darker.
Nutritional deficiency:
Dark circles around the eyes can be due to poor nutrition. A healthy and nutritious diet filled with vitamins like A, C, K, E, and nutrients can help to get rid of dark circles. Iron Deficiency also triggers dark circles, thus making a balanced diet rich in green leafy vegetables, dairy products, and all types of fruits important.
Iron Deficiencies:
Anemia or iron deficiency is another cause of these dark rings. When this happens your hemoglobin gets broken down quite easily, making the skin under your eyes appear bruised and dark.
Sun exposure:
Increased exposure to the sun can draw pigmentation of the skin’s surface and create dark circles. Long sun exposure produces more melanin around the eyes than usual, giving them a darker color.
Treatment Options:
1. Eye Peels
2. Lasers
3. Microneedling
4. Fillers
5. Botox
6. Eyebrow Lift
7. Lipodissolve
8. Eye Facials / bright eyes treatment
Treatments for Dark Circles:
Balanced sleep, good skin care, and proper nutrition can help you in preventing dark circles. However, you may still get them through genetics. You can hide them behind make-up but if you want to get rid of them you will have to increase the collagen production in your periorbital skin. In certain cases, different combinations of treatments may work best. Yet, these are the standard treatments that well-qualified dermatologists and doctors suggest:
Chemical Peels: A mild chemical solution is applied to your skin to remove pigmentation and give your skin a brighter and radiant look. This procedure also stimulates collagen production, leaving your eyes bright for a longer period of time.
Dark circle eye creams: These Skin lightening creams contain topical bleaching agents that help in reducing dark circles that are caused by sun damage or melasma. There are many creams that contain Vitamin C & K, licorice, green tea, and Kojic acid.
IPL or Photofacial: Here Intense pulsed light is used to penetrate deep into your skin causing the blood vessels underneath your skin to constrict, reducing your pigmentation, age lines, and redness. Within weeks you will start seeing results and the discomfort you may feel during the treatment is minimal. This works well when the blood vessels under your eyes are visible as blue or purple dark circles.
Laser Skin resurfacing: A few layers of the skin under your eyes will be removed through a laser to give you a fresher and rejuvenated look without any dark circles. This procedure will also help you get rid of your wrinkles, fine lines, sunspots, and acne while stimulating the production of collagen in your skin.
Tips to prevent dark circles:
1. Try to ease your stress.
2. Have a diet rich in iron and vitamin C. Food rich in iron will improve your hemoglobin content and reduce your dark circles. Vitamin C aids the absorption of iron by the body. Dried beans, dried fruits, eggs (especially egg yolks), iron-fortified cereals, liver, lean red meat, oysters, poultry, salmon, tuna, and whole grains are rich in iron. Include citrus fruits, tomatoes, peppers, melon, and spinach for vitamin C.
3. Get treated for allergies, hay fever, asthma, and nasal congestion too.
4. Abstain from rubbing your eyes all the time.
5. Avoid eye cosmetics if you are allergic to them. Change your eye cosmetics every six months to prevent irritant allergies and infections.
6. Always moisturize the skin under the eye. Dry, dehydrated skin will make the under-e
7. Stylish glares not only make you look cool but also protect your eyes as well as the skin around the eyes from the harsh effects of UV rays.
8. Be gentle when cleansing and removing eye make-up.
9. When choosing a cream or serum to reduce dark circles around the eyes, look for vitamins C, E, K, or retinol in the ingredients.
Are dark circles under the eyes hereditary?
The appearance of dark circles could be due to a variety of reasons – nutritional deficiencies, fatigue, or allergies. But the most common cause is that they are hereditary. Often, the genes passed down from parents is the leading cause for many.
Is aloe vera gel good for eye bags and wrinkles?
If there’s one product that works effectively for both eye bags and wrinkles, it’s aloe vera gel. A storehouse of essentials vitamins, namely vitamin E, C, B12, and A, aloe vera gel is also known for its anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging properties, which helps you combat pesky under-eye bags and wrinkles.
Are there any medications or treatments for this?
Vitamin C supplements are effective in dealing with wrinkles and eye bags. The vitamin aids in the making of collagen, which improves skin elasticity, and reduces the appearance of wrinkles.
Treatment for this condition should be based on the factor causing it. If it is due to an allergic reaction to something, anti-allergy medicines should be consumed. If the factor causing it is linked to genes, then treatments like under-eye fillers can be considered, which add volume to the under-eye bag, helping it transition better to the cheek.
A NEHARKAR SKIN should be consulted before any medication or treatment is considered.
Can it be treated? What are the options?
Yes, they can be reduced with treatment over time to an extent where they are not very prominent. However, they cannot be completely eradicated. A multipurpose approach is required inclusive of the improvisation of lymphatic drainage under the eye, lighting, and collagen-building therapy.
For this, at NEHARKAR SKIN we have created an amalgam of effective meso-laser and magnetic pulse therapy, done every fortnight for 6 sessions. If hollowing is the major causative factor, an under-eye filler can be injected for a refreshed look.
How long does it take to remove dark circles?
The nature of the dark circles determines how long it will take to reduce them. If they are caused due to fatigue or lack of sleep, adequate sleep will help solve the problem in a couple of weeks. For more stubborn dark circles, continuous treatment and changes in diet and lifestyle should show a change.
Is it safe to be done around the eyes?
Yes, absolutely! It is done by trained personnel using technologies and formulations designed to be safe and gentle in this area.
What is a good eye care routine?
A good, hydrating moisturizer goes a long way in keeping the skin around your eyes well-nourished and healthy, and should always be part of your eye care routine. Despite moisturizers advocating the inclusion of SPF in their formula, it is better to opt for a separate sunscreen, especially because the skin around your eyes is doubly sensitive compared to the rest of your face.
There’s no denying the beauty of eye makeup, but if not removed properly, it causes more harm than good. Most makeup removers are too harsh for this part of your face and can lead to irritation and dryness. Instead of chemicals, opt for baby oil, or olive oil, as a gentler (and more nourishing) alternative to removing your eye makeup.
Lastly, but most importantly, good sleep (in terms of quality of sleep, and not just number of hours clocked in) staying hydrated, and regulation of salt in your diet is also key in reducing the appearance of wrinkles and eye bags.
Are the results permanent?
Lifestyle-related factors like environmental exposure,
stress, sun exposure, sleep, and diet also affect under-eye darkening.
If these are taken care of, to whatever extent possible, the results can be maintained for a longer period of time.
