The skin around the eyes is 10 times thinner than the skin on your face and ages 36% faster than the rest of your skin (GASP!) If that’s not reason enough to give an extra bout of TLC to your periorbital area (around the eyes) then under-eye dark circles sure is. Because those great dark eye patches only look cute on a Panda!
Dark circles under the lower eyelids are common in both men and women. Often accompanied by bags, dark circles tend to make you appear older than you are. To make matters worse, they are generally too difficult to get rid of! Dark circles are multifactorial. They can be caused by genetic, environmental or lifestyle factors or be a combination of all. Because of the several different underlying causes and variables at play, topical solutions may prove to be great at preserving your periorbital zone, but it is equally important to incorporate lifestyle changes to combat these.
While makeup/concealers can help you camouflage these dark circles, banishing them for a lifetime still seems like a far-fetched dream. There is not one quick fix for this but a comprehensive approach, with prevention and treatment at the core, can wade you through.
Source: Prothom Alo
Factors that cause dark circles and what you could do to circumvent them:
Fatigue
Extreme fatigue, or just staying up a few hours past your normal bedtime can cause dark circles to form under your eyes. Sleep deprivation can cause your skin to become dull and pale, allowing for dark tissues and blood vessels beneath your skin to show.
8 hours is the ideal sleep span but if you’re a mom I can totally understand how that’s not quite achievable for you. Try and get 6 hours of sleep at least
Sun damage
Overexposure to the sun can cause your body to produce an excess of melanin, the pigment that provides your skin with color. Too much sun — particularly for your eyes — can cause pigmentation in the surrounding skin to darken.
Use sunscreens along with sunglasses to protect your periorbital skin from ultraviolet damage.
Allergies (rubbing the eyelid skin due to allergies)
Allergic reactions and eye dryness can trigger dark circles.
They can also increase your urge to rub and scratch the itchy skin around your eyes. These actions add very little to relief and in fact worsen your symptoms, causing inflammation, swelling, and broken blood vessels – resulting in dark shadows beneath your eyesIt can be as simple as avoiding rubbing your eyes. Controlling your symptoms and irritants. Ask your physician for antihistamines. Also, moisturizing and maintaining a healthy skin barrier is important to avoid skin irritation and dryness.
Dehydration
Dehydration is a common cause of dark circles under your eyes. When your body is not receiving the proper amount of water, the skin beneath your eyes begins to look dull and your eyes look sunken.
Make conscious effort to drink at least 3 liters of water daily. If you have a forgetful mind like mine, set reminders and goals to achieve the same.
Aging
As you get older, your skin becomes thinner. You also lose the fat and collagen needed to maintain your skin’s elasticity. As this occurs, the dark blood vessels beneath your skin become more visible causing the area below your eyes to darken.
Genetics
Family history also plays a part in developing dark circles under your eyes. It can be an inherited trait seen early in childhood, and may worsen as you age or slowly disappear. Predispositions to other medical conditions — such as thyroid disease — can also result in dark circles beneath your eyes. Both aging and genetics are factors beyond our control, hence the best way to address these is by consistently adapting healthier habits and of course complementing these with topical solutions.
Stay tuned to learn about the essential ingredients you need to look for in eye creams, quick home remedies and recommended products for your under-eye dark circles.
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By Jasmine Sharif @stylehappysmiles
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