Treat Dark Circles Under Your Eyes

Oh, those dreaded dark circles under our eyes. Maybe we’re stressed. Maybe we’re not getting enough sleep. Or maybe we even have allergies. Either way, we can all agree that dark under eye circles are no fun. Luckily, there are several ways to treat them so they disappear for good.

Before we jump into how to treat dark circles, let’s first try to understand them. Surrounding our eyes is a network of blood vessels and tissue. When the skin underneath our eyelids begins to thin or when those blood vessels enlarge, they become significantly visible. So when those “dark circles” appear, we are actually seeing the blood vessels. But what causes the skin to thin or the blood vessels to enlarge?

Aging is the most common factor of thinning skin as well as the drooping of the skin. This is why we most often see dark circles among older individuals. As far as enlarged blood vessels, allergies tend to enlarge the vessels because of the release of histamines brought on by bacteria.

Even without raised blood vessels or thinning of the skin, our eyes can still appear dark thanks to good old optical illusion. For example, the dark circles we see when we are tired or even when we have overslept may simply be a shadow cast by our puffy eyes. When we are ill or dehydrated, our skin begins to turn pale, making our eyes appear sunken. These two factors work together to create the illusion of dark circles.

How to Treat Dark Circles

The treatment of dark circles ultimately depends on the underlying cause.

For illness or dehydration; drinking water and upping your vitamin C intake can help keep you hydrated and boost your immune system to fight off common illnesses. As you regain your health, your color will come back and your face will fill out, thus eliminating the dark circles.

For fatigue; use a cold compress to minimize the swelling causing your puffy eyes. As the bags disappear, so will the shadow.

For allergies; talk to your doctor about taking an antihistamine. This will alleviate the symptoms of your allergies including normalizing the size of your blood vessels.

For age-related dark circles; consider laser surgery. It’ll help to resurface your skin making it tighter. Dermal fillers may also help to fill out the drooping areas making your skin appear fuller and younger.

For chronic illnesses; in order for the circles to permanently fade, your condition must be treated. Cosmetic treatments may help, however, you MUST speak to a dermatologist about your condition to see which options are safe for you.

When all else fails, simply use concealer or other makeup products to temporarily hide the dark circles.

Dark circles are not usually a cause for alarm. These simple treatments can help you get rid of them and get your glowing skin back. If you’d like to explore these treatment options and are in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, our experts at The Dermatology Group are ready to give you all of the advice, resources, and options you need. Give us a call today!