Need to get rid of dark circles? Follow these simple medical and non-medical procedures and say goodbye to dark circles.
Although dark circles under your eyes are not a serious health problem, many people have it that makes them look tired, older than their real age, and unhealthy. This condition is prevalent in men and women, but there are various ways to get rid of it. These can either be natural ways or medically prescribed procedures suggested by doctors.
You should know that all of these methods are not a permanent way out, but they can help alleviate dark circles' presence and appearance if they are consistently used. Appearances depend on various anatomical structures.
This may include facial ligaments and the bony structure, midface soft tissues, superficial vasculature, and thin eyelids skin with nearly no subcutaneous tissue. Besides these anatomical factors, dark circles' appearances can be aggravated by other causes such as allergies, insufficient sleep, and age.
Basing on anatomical structure, tear troughs become more depressed with age. Once you age, the subcutaneous fat tissues dissolve, and the overlying skin on the orbital rim ligament becomes thin, leading to hollowness in the orbital rim vicinity. The unification of the overlying hollowness and pseudogenization of the subcutaneous tissues accentuate darkening in the tear trough causing dark circles.
The eyelid has a succulent property; this may cause accumulation of fluids. Diagnostics has it that the condition is worse during the morning or after taking in salty meals. Edema can also result from allergies due to the accumulation of foreign liquid in areas near the eyes, thus causing puffiness.
These are prostaglandin analogs that are used for eye treatment in patients with glaucoma. Research suggests that bimatoprost or latanoprost drugs increase melanogenesis in the dermis and increase melanin granules' transfer to the basal epidermis. Patients using these drugs develop dark circles hyperpigmentation 3-6 months after initiating its therapy, and the reversal process starts after their discontinuation.
Dark circles normally start from the capillaries, and given that they are fragile, they may be broken, causing hemoglobin to leak in the surrounding skin. Once leaked, it breaks out, and the pigmented degradation products are released, and they accumulate in the dermis, thus causing periorbital darkening.
Periorbital hyperpigmentation is considered to be a product of predisposal genetic factors. According to Goodman and Belcher reports on dark circles, "Children from families whose parents had the eye pigmentation were mildly affected, and some were severely affected." Their research further unraveled that "this pigmentation is realized during early childhood and the condition worsens further as they age or get stressed.
Lack of a balanced diet or absence of sufficient iron in your daily meals will lead to discoloration of the area under the eyes. When your body is deprived of iron, hemoglobin will be less; hence low oxygen affinity implying that the tissues around the eye will get less oxygen thence, resulting in dark circles.
When you are exposed to the sun, your body produces more melanin to prevent U.V. rays from penetrating your skin. Lucidly, melanin is responsible for skin pigmentation, and production in large quantities will result in periorbital hyperpigmentation.
Ways of Getting Rid of Dark Circles Under your Eyes
Before approaching treatment, it would be wise for you to identify the specific cause of the present etiologic factors so that customized therapy can be done. When it comes to getting rid of dark circles through treatment, there are natural mechanisms that you can use without a doctor's help and others that your doctor may suggest.
You should ensure you have more sleep during the nights and elevate your head a few inches, as this may help reduce or prevent dark circles and swelling around the eyes.
- So, what does home treatment involve?
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Ice compression in areas near the eye will help constrict blood vessels, thence reducing the appearances of dark circles.
Poor circulation of blood under the eyes leads to less oxygenated blood and forms a bluish tinge. However, this can be suppressed by doing gentle massage to help straighten blood vessels, thus enhancing blood circulation.
Face creams contain vitamins E and C. Vitamin C strengthens the skin by building collagen fibers that make the skin resilient and more elastic. Additionally, a strong circulatory system can be sufficed through vitamin C. Vitamin E, on the other hand, is a natural antioxidant that protects the skin against radicals responsible for aging, thinning, and wrinkling of the skin in areas around the eye.
Caffeine has antioxidant properties that stimulate blood circulation in areas around the eyes. You can boil the tea bags, and upon cooling, you should rest them on each eye. Teabag treatment will be effective in 1-3 months after the commencement of their use.
Putting thick slices of cucumber over your eyes helps reduce puffy skin that may result from allergies. Research has it that cucumber juice can reduce swelling and stimulate antioxidant activity. Cucumber contains vitamin C, which stimulates new cell growth, and folic acid, which stimulates antioxidants that eliminate toxins that may cause darkening.
Dark circles can be eradicated successfully with the use of various non-invasive lasers that target pigment and vascularity. Ruby lasers can be combined with a bleaching agent containing 0.1 tretinoin and 5 % hydroquinone. In this case, tretinoin accelerates the discharge of melanin, and hydroquinone suppresses it. Laser beams catalyze this process. Lasers can treat laxity and tear trough.
Up to you
You should check with your state laws on hydroquinone as in some states, its use is revoked, as it may cause cancer and other detrimental effects.
Hyaluronic acid fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm help in the reduction of the volume under the eye. They can be injected in the tissue under the eye by a plastic surgeon, dermatologist, or a well-trained health care personnel.
How Do you Prevent Dark Circles?
- What your doctors may propose: Medical procedures
Blepharoplasty is the type of surgery that can be conducted in this case. It's done to get rid of extra fats or extra skin around the eye.
Up to you
The area under the eye is exquisite, and the outcomes should be considered first before the approach. You should ensure that only certified dermatologist contacts medical procedures in these areas. On the other hand, if you are on any drugs that counteract glaucoma, you should not rush for surgery as your dark circles will reduce after medicinal withdrawal.
Chemical peels are incorporated with alpha hydroxyl acids, glycolic acid, lactic acid, and trichloroacetic acid, which alleviate the pigmentation around the eyes. Chemical peels can be combined with topical creams for better results. You should be aware that using chemical peels may result in post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. However, this can be alleviated by the use of priming agents such as hydroquinone and tretinoin.
As the saying goes, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Dark circles can appear on anyone. It's up to you to try and get rid of it. There are various lifestyle changes that you can orchestrate; they may include:
It would be best if you put on sunglasses that prevent U.V. light from reaching the skin under your eyes. Sunscreens can also be used to prevent or reduce dark circles.
Alcoholism and smoking accelerate the aging process, leading to an increased risk of dark circles.
Lack of enough sleep will cause your skin to be pale and dull, thus allowing dark tissues and vessels beneath your skin to show. Inadequate sleep will cause a buildup of fluid beneath your eyes, making them appear puffy. You are advised to get enough sleep and ensure your head is elevated while you are asleep so that fluids cannot accumulate in the tear trough.
Having dark circles under your eyes is not a cause for health concern. However, if your swelling and dark circle appears only on one eye, you should see a doctor, especially if it lingers and aggravates over time.
Variation can be due to many components such as genetics and thin skin under the eye area, which results in less subcutaneous fat. On the other hand, individuals are born with less fat in the skin under their eyes. They have an indentation, which is referred to as tear trough hollow. Although tear trough is a natural contour, those with less subcutaneous tissue will have more dark circles.
Conclusion
In retrospect, even though aging and lifestyle factors play a part in creating dark circles, dark circles can affect anyone, its oblivious of age and ethnicity. You should be smart and stick to a healthy lifestyle. If afflicted or in doubt, it would be better to seek medical help from a dermatologist or a certified optician.