Dark Circles Under Your Eyes? Read this article.

Dark Circles Under Your Eyes

Cause, Treatment, Conceal

What ages you most? Surprisingly, it might not be wrinkles or grey hair, but dark circles under your eyes. Dark circles under eyes usually aren't a sign of exhaustion or serious illness, though they can make you feel old, unhealthy and tired. Dark circles under eyes affect both men and women, often starting in adulthood, although children can develop dark circles under eyes, too.

If you get plenty of sleep and still have dark circles under your eyes, that's not unusual. Fatigue isn't the only reason for under-eye circles. What appear to be under-eye circles are sometimes just shadows cast by puffy eyelids or hollows under your eyes that develop as a normal part of aging.

Here are some of the most common causes of true under-eye circles.

Allergies

Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema)

Heredity—Dark under-eye circles can run in families.

Lifestyle factors, such as physical or emotional stress, smoking or chronic alcohol use can take a toll on your appearance.

Naaal congestion (which can dilate and darken the veins that drain from your eyes to your nose).

Pigmentation irregularities

Rubbing or scratching your eyes

Sun exposure, which prompts your body to produce more melanin, the pigment that gives skin it’s colour.

Thinning skin and loss of fat and collagen—common as you age— can make the reddish-blue blood vessels under your eyes more obvious.

When to see a doctor.

If discoloration and swelling appear under just one eye and seem to get worse over time, talk to your doctor.

If you want a more lasting solution than concealers and over-the-counter creams can provide, see your dermatologist for advice. More treatments are available for dark circles under eyes than ever before and range from makeup and laser therapy to, in some cases, surgery. Because results aren't always perfect, however, it helps to have realistic expectations.

Depending on what's causing the circles under your eyes, your doctor may recommend prescription creams or a combination of treatments to erase or reduce discoloration. Laser therapy or chemical peels can be helpful in some cases. Hollows that cause shadows can be smoothed with injectable fillers, and surgery can eliminate puffy lids.

However, dark under-eye circles usually aren't a medical problem, and home remedies for dark circles under eyes may be all you need to help manage this condition.

Self-care

Mild to moderate dark circles often respond well to simple and inexpensive treatments, such as:

· Cold. Try a cold compress, two chilled teaspoons or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a soft cloth to temporarily reduce dilated and discolored under-eye blood vessels. Or try a cooled, used teabag.

· Extra pillows. Elevate your head with two or more pillows to prevent puffiness that develops when fluid pools in your lower eyelids.

· Extra sleep. Although short nights don't usually cause under-eye circles, a lack of sleep makes you paler and more hollow-eyed, so shadows and circles you already have are more obvious.

· Dark glasses and sunscreen. Although a tan might hide dark circles in the short term, in the long run, the extra pigment it produces can make circles worse.

· Saline washes or sprays. Rinsing your sinuses with a saltwater solution (mix 1/4 teaspoon sea salt with 2 cups warm water) or over-the-counter saline spray can help relieve nasal congestion.

· Cosmetics. Hundreds of skin creams that claim to reduce or prevent under-eye circles crowd department store and pharmacy shelves. The results of one study showed that a serum containing plant-based compounds, including root extracts and Brazilian suma, significantly improved the appearance of dark under-eye circles.

· Camouflage. The right concealer can do just that — hide dark circles. If the circles under your eyes are bluish, use an apricot or peach-coloured concealer, not one that's white or grey. And avoid scented products and those containing salicylic or glycolic acid, which can irritate delicate eye tissue, making redness and swelling worse.

Camouflaging Dark Under-Eye Circles

Make-up tips for concealing dark circles

With the right tools, including a quality concealer product you can hide dark under-eye circles fairly effectively. Naturally this is not a permanent answer to the problem but learning clever concealing tricks will help to brighten up your under eye area for a fresher, healthier look.

Concealer for hiding dark under-eye circles

Concealers are effective at hiding dark under-eye circles because they're opaque (they don't let light through). Simply applying your foundation isn't as effective when trying to camouflage truly dark under-eye circles.

Choosing the right shade of concealer can be daunting.

The best concealers work undercover without anyone noticing them. A moist formula won't highlight fine lines and wrinkles, while still providing enough cover for dark circles. A good concealer product for covering dark under-eye circles will never be thick & waxy but it will have a high pigment ratio. A little goes a long way when the concealer colour is correct.

The editors of Allure's "Confessions of a Beauty Editor" suggest testing

consistency by dabbing concealer on the blue veins on the inside of your wrist.

Yellow, Peach & Apricot toned products are your best bet for covering up your dark circles. Try out different concealers at makeup counters.

Foundation or Conceal First?

Makeup artists differ in opinion on whether to apply conealer or foundation first.

My preference is to apply the foundation first then add concealer only to the areas of the skin that need a little extra coverage as more often than not the foundation is enough coverage to even out a complexion.

When you're applying concealer for hiding dark under-eye circles, use a light touch. Too much concealer will draw attention to the skin under your eyes.

Applying Concealer

The most effective method for applying concealer to camouflage under eye circles, try the following:

Use a very small makeup brush dipped in a tiny amount of concealer and apply to the discoloured area only. (avoid applying too much concealer, only apply to the actual dark area).

Using a second makeup brush (soft, clean and dry) gently buff the concealer into the area. Feather lightly to blend well, hiding the problem area.

Lightly apply a little colourless, translucent face powder to the area to set.

Original article source: Mayo Clinic Staff

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dark-circles-under-eyes/MY00346

Edited and added to by Jenny Pulfer