Did you know that dark circles aren't necessarily a sign of aging, because even children get them too? However, there's no doubt that they make you look older and more tired.
A little bit of information about them, the skin around your eye area is extremely thin and delicate, it is only about 0.5 mm thick compare to other areas, 2.2 mm. Dark circles are actually blood vessels that can be seen through the skin. The reason why you see dark circles mostly in blue or green color is because, when blood passes through it produces a bluish tint. A lot of it got to do with heredity too - as to the more transparent your skin in this area is, the more it shows. People with fair and transparent skin or deep-set eyes, dark circles may even be more noticeable.
Don't get too worried! I'm going to share with you a little trick to know if you really have dark circles or not. Pull your lower eyelid skin and if the darkness slightly goes away, it means that it is not a true dark circle. However, if it still leaves a discoloration then you know that it is truly a dark circle :(
As it is a part of nature - skin aging process, both of the sides of the bridge of the nose can weaken over times and loose the support, the area around the eyes are collapsed. When the adjacent area becomes puffy, it casts a shadow onto the under-eyes making them appear as if there are dark circles. Worse, as the years go on, our skin ages causing it to even be thinner and now you would see a few exposed lines of reddish-blue blood vessels underneath.
Along with the skin aging and heredity, there are also other environmental and lifestyle factors that cause dark circles:
- Allergies (leading to eye-rubbing)
- Nasal congestion (which can expand and darken the veins that run from your eyes to your nose)
- Dehyration
- Fatique
- Fluid retention (salt-rich diet or any medications that cause blood-vessel dilation)
- Physical and emotional stress (smoking, alcohol, etc.)
- Too much sun exposure
- Thinning of skin, loss of fat and collagen around the eyes.
- Too much rubbing and scratching your eyes.
- Pigmentation (especially in people of color including blacks and Asians)
Prevention: (Your everyday effort will make a difference!)
- Sleep with a higher pillow - any pillows that don't make you lay flat, you want your head to be elevated. By doing this it helps to prevent fluid accumulation under your eyes. (This helps especially with people who have puffy eyes. It's a proven strategy that's been working perfectly for me.)
- Appropriate treatment for nasal congestion by using saline water to spray.
- Sun glasses and sunscreen
- Good night sleeps (about 7-8 hours)
- Cold iced-tea cubes (freeze your tea in an ice-maker tray and use each cube every morning. This is a proven method that worked really well for me, helped with puffy eyes too)
- Eye-cream - look for ones that are rich in vitamin K and/or retinol. However, a recent study has shown that eye-cream with plant-based compounds, roots extract or Brazilian suma significantly improved the appearance of dark under-eye circles.
- *Note* If you're sensitive, use eye-cream that contains no fragrance, glycolic acid or salicylic acid.
- Intake food that are rich in Vitamin C and antioxidants: tomatoes, different kinds of berries, green/black tea, legumes, etc.
Make-Up:
- Use a peach-based concealer to cover dark circles. Don't use white or yellow concealer because that only makes them appear grayish.
- For puffy eyes, use a light concealer and with a small nylon brush apply on the crease below the puff. Then, use a darker concealer on the puff to decrease the volume. Don't use light or light reflecting concealer on the puff because lights will only brings out volume and making it puffier.
- Always use foundation before concealer.
- Always use an eye-primer
Other possible medical treatments:
- Laser treatment
- Chemical peel
- Injectable wrinkel filler
- Prescription-strength creams
- Eyelift surgery
- Restylane filler injections
- Sculptra (Liquid Facelift)
(Written by Tina from BeautyToast)
Source:
http://www.webmd.com/healthy-beauty/features/banish-the-bags-under-your-eyes?page=3
http://www.dailyglow.com/skin-care-tips/causes-of-dark-eyelids.html?xid=nl_TodaysHighlightFromDailyGlow_20120118
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