There's a good chance that if you've ever had dark circles under your eyes, someone has commented on how you need to sleep more or not stay up so late. In truth, there are many causes of these dark circles under the eyes, and while not sleeping enough can be one of them, there are many more. There are also some ways you can treat them.
What Causes the Dark Circles?
There are many things believed to be contributors or causes of dark circles under the eyes, but there are some factors that are bigger than others.
A lack of good sleep or sleeping habits that need improving is one of the most common that people know of. Going to bed too late or sleeping too little, drinking too much before bed, or sleeping with a TV on are all going to contribute to waking up with dark circles under your eyes.
Allergies are another big contributor, particularly pollen and airborne irritants, which can cause hay fever-like symptoms. It might cause you to rub at your eyes, which is another cause of the dark circles. Simple aging and the changes in your skin can cause it too. Skin thins as you age, and this can be a contributor. Other things like smoking, dehydration and spending too much time in the sun can also be factors.
Some Home Remedies
The easiest and best home remedy, of course, is simply more sleep. Getting to bed early and making your bedroom environment conducive to good sleep is the best thing you can do to help prevent those dark eyes. Aside from sleep, there are a few other things that some people recommend that you can do at home to aid in lightening up those dark circles.
Exposing your eyes directly to vitamins can be beneficial. You might try placing slices of cucumber over your eyes to help moisturize the skin. Cucumber also contains vitamin C which can help your tired eyes. Consider also trying a vitamin K brightening eye cream which promotes overall good skin health and specifically improves dark circles under the eye.
Teabags can reportedly help too, drawing on the caffeine to act as an antioxidant to promote blood circulation. While we're on the topic of blood circulation, a gentle massage around the eyes can also help out with this.
While there are some medical options you can explore if you suffer from chronic dark circles under the eyes, give these home remedies a try first, before you start exploring more drastic options like chemical peels and laser treatments.
Prevention Rather Than Cure
Once you've started getting the right amount of sleep, you'll want to take other steps to prevent dark circles from ever forming around your eyes.
Start off with a proactive skincare routine that includes a cream or tonic that is rich in vitamins C and K, maintain good hydration throughout the day, and don't forget if you're going outside into the sun to put on some good quality UV protective sunglasses to reduce the exposure of your sensitive facial skin to the sun. You should also think about stopping smoking if you're a smoker and limiting alcohol intake to aid in the prevention of dark circles under the eyes.
While waking up and finding your eyes looking dark and withdrawn can be a knock to your self-confidence, they don't pose any serious health concerns. Adopting some of the good practices and some small lifestyle changes we've discussed can make all the difference, but if you're ever concerned by anything about your skin, a trip to the dermatologist might be advised.