Dark Under Eye Circles: Causes and Treatments

Dark under eye circles are something that every woman has experienced at one point or another. Maybe you partied too late or were up all night with a sick child or work deadline. You can try to cover them up with concealer, but this tends to look cakey and even worse than the dark circles themselves. It is important to know what causes these because then you can treat them correctly because the cause will ultimately determine the treatment.

What Causes Dark Circles Under the Eyes?

The bad news will come first. Sometimes darkness under the eyes is something inherited and this means that they are going to be a little harder to deal with, but you can still minimize their appearance so don’t give up hope yet. You could have excess pigment, have them due to aging or you chronically do not get good sleep. Remember that good sleep is different than enough sleep. You could be in bed for eight hours, but if you are tossing and turning and waking frequently, then your sleep quality is not good.

What can I do About Dark Circles?

There is makeup, but like was said above you do not want to cake concealer onto them. When you use concealer, be sure to choose one that matches your skin ton exactly. A liquid will work well for mild dark circles, but for more severe darkness, go with a cream. Start at the inner corner of your eye and pat on concealer out to just beyond the outer corner of your eye. Then, you want to use a cosmetic sponge to blend your concealer well so that it does not look like you have makeup on, but your dark circles are not as noticeable. This can take some practice so do not give up if you do not do well the first time.

Caffeine is a good way to awaken the body and the eyes. A day cream for your eyes that contains caffeine can help to constrict the blood vessels under that area of your skin. This can help to slightly lighten up the area under your eyes. You can also wear a night eye cream that is moisturizing to help with dark circles.

Remember that the sun increases pigmentation. Many people do not think about how the sun increases the pigmentation of the area under their eyes. When you choose a daytime eye cream, go for one that not only has caffeine, but also has a minimum of an SPF 30. This will help in preventing the sun from worsening the darkness of your under eye circles.

A few other options include treatments that can be done by a dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon. These are not cheap, but they are often effective. There is a treatment known as intense pulse light therapy, or IPL therapy. This smooths the skin and destroys pigment cells. Without pigment cells, you will not have pigment, therefore, lighting the area under your eyes. Now, you will generally need at least four sessions to see noticeable improvement.