Sparkling and beautiful eyes are your best assets. For magnificent peepers, you need to get rid of those conspicuous dark circles. Namrata D’souza sources tips from beauty experts to make your eyes look gorgeous
Among the innumerable beauty problems you pray to get rid of, dark circles are perhaps the most stubborn. As a young, strapping working woman in her 20s, dark circles or under eye bags make you look tired, worn out and years older. And it isn’t just lack of sleep that is responsible. Other factors that you are probably unaware of can contribute to the shadows under your eyes.
Why so dark?
In simple terms, dark circles are pigmentations around the eyes. You may believe that these can easily be hidden behind your mascara or kajal. However, no matter how much you conceal the dark circles with make-up they are still very much visible which only leaves you further at your wits’ end. “Most of the time, dark circles appear due to leakage of fluid from the capillaries found around the eyes. Usually, these capillaries are fragile. When the blood from these capillaries starts spreading, that portion will start appearing darker than the surrounding area,” says Dr Swati Srivastava, Dermatologist, VLCC, Mumbai.
With capillaries leaking and the haemoglobin in the blood breaking down, the colour given out is a darkish black-blue much like a bruise. Coupled with the fragility of the skin around the eye, you have one big dark circle.
The triggers
As you now know, lack of sleep and tiredness aren’t the only reasons why you develop these skin pigmentations around your eyes. There are very many causes that lead to these bags developing below your eyes apart from lack of sleep, stress and lifestyle factors and some of them may really surprise you. As Dr Chytra Anand, Cosmetologist, Kosmoderma Skin & Laser Clinic, Bengaluru, mentions that anything ranging from heredity, allergies, vascular (when the capillaries around the eyes are prone to breakage), thin skin and ageing could lead to formation of dark circles. Genetics, in fact, is a major culprit here. For those who have inherited fair or thin skin, the blood pools are more apparent. “Dark circles are likely to become more noticeable and permanent with age due to the excess folds of skin under the eyes that make them more pronounced,” says Dr Mohan Thomas, Cosmetic Surgeon, Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai. “And the next time you have a nasal congestion, take a close look at your eyes too as the blocked nose causes the veins that drain from your eyes to your nose to darken and dilate,” he adds.
The dark circle trigger test
Here’s a simple way to narrow down on the more likely reason as to why you may develop dark circles: Gently stretch the skin under your eyes. Genetics or ageing has played a role here if the area stretched becomes darker. If the colour does not change, then the plausible causes are either allergies in the air or UV rays.
The ‘Banish Dark Circles’ mission
Knowing that you aren’t entirely at fault for this beauty nuisance, here’s what you can do to get rid of the blue eye baggage.
Home remedies
- Cucumber therapy is effective and highly recommended. Place a slice of cucumber over each eye. Extend it over the darkened area. This reduces the puffiness and refreshes the appearance of the skin around the eyes.
- Apply a cold pack or cool chamomile tea bags. The swelling and discolouration is reduced considerably with the tannin in the tea bag.
- Mix malai with two drops of lime juice and apply once in three days for a month.
- Grind almonds to a powder and store it in a bottle. Make a paste with milk and apply around your eye every morning. Let it dry. Then, wash with cold water.
- Take a pad of absorbent cotton soaked in warm tea and gently dab around your eyes.
- The frozen spoon method is also an effective and simple technique where you place a spoon in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. You then take the spoon out and place it on the dark circles until the spoon is warm again.
- To improve the blood circulation, you could massage Vitamin E or almond oil around the eyes without touching them.
Cosmetic remedies
- Under-eye creams are the more popular option when it comes to cosmetic remedies for treating dark circles. Opt for creams that contain vitamin K and retinol. If the dark circle is due to pigmentation, skin lightening agents can be used.
- Lymphatic massages are used to decrease the effect of dark circles.
- Nowadays therapies like Q-switched laser are also used to reduce the darkness in the under eye or one can opt for chemical peels based on lactic acid to lighten the skin.
Lifestyle changes
- The skin regenerates and replenishes itself the maximum at night and hence beauty sleep is a must. Regular sleep and set timings help immensely as lack of sleep is often responsible for a host of health problems including puffy eyes.
- Dehydration caused due to excessive intake of alcohol could result in dark circle formation. Also, one’s smoking habit must be kept in check as it could lead to vascular i.e. blood vessel problems such as bluer and more prominent blood vessels.
- Yoga, especially pranayama and regular exercise helps in improving your skin’s health on the whole.
- Always try and avoid exposing your eyes to the harsh sunlight and protect them by wearing sunglasses.
Diet changes
- Have lots of fruits and vegetables especially those rich in Vitamin A, E and K and which contain antioxidants. Vitamin B12 deficiency could also cause dark circles and it is necessary to include this in your diet too.
- Include a lot of green leafy vegetables and carrots that are rich in beta-carotene and are excellent for your skin and eyes.
- Water is always one of the best solutions for any health problem and it is necessary that you take in a lot of fluid, at least 1.5-2 litres of water daily.
- Reduce your salt intake. Salt promotes liquid retention in unusual places and could lead to under eye circles.
- Inputs from Dr Anand, Dr Srivastava, Dr Thomas and Dr Uma Singh, Medical Director, Ozone Ayurvedics
