Dark circles underneath the eyes are the blood vessels that are visible through the skin. As we age, our skin loses collagen and becomes thin. When blood moves through the veins in the area, a bluish tinted stain appears which are known as dark circles. Other than blood vessels, pigmentation, fine lines and, wrinkles also lead to the appearance of dark circles. Further hollowness under the eyes gives a dark appearance to that area. 

What causes dark circles?

Here are some of the main reasons as to why you are suffering from dark circles –

1. Age - With age, dark circles become more prominent because of the loss of collagen from our skin. As you get older, your skin becomes thinner. You also lose fat and collagen needed to maintain your skin’s elasticity. As this occurs, the dark blood vessels beneath your skin become more apparent making the area underneath your eyes to darken.

2. Hereditary - Dark circles can even be inherited from your parents or grandparents. When pigmentation appears all around the eyes, they are generally hereditary. This physical trait is often passed down from one generation to another.

3. Lack of Sleep - The most prominent and common cause of dark circles is due to the lack of sleep. The blood vessels can be overly constrained and tired resulting in under-eye circles. No sleep can make your skin pale, making your dark circles more prominent against a lighter complexion.

4. Anemia - Low iron levels can contribute to dark circles as a lack of oxygen supply to the blood vessel may dilate them and cause dark circles.

5. Stress - It has been known to decrease blood circulation and melatonin (the hormone responsible for sleep).

6. Excessive Alcohol Consumption - Smoking leads to dark circles as oxygen supply is diminished, and hence the body’s ability to flush out toxin reduces.

7. Excessive Rubbing of Eyes - People with seasonal allergies or allergy to environmental allergens like dust, pollen, etc can have dark circles. Allergies result in inflammation that expands the tiny blood vessels under eyes.

8. Lifestyle factors like working on laptops for long hours, watching TV, and reading novels for long hours can lead to dark circles due to excessive strain.Crash dieting can lead to dark circles because of nutritional deficiency caused by improper diet patterns.

Treatments:

Home remedies

Apply tomato, potato and watermelon juice over under eye area.Put cold slices of cucumbers on your eyes and let it be for some time. Then rinse your eyes with cold water. You can also use cucumber juice by grating half of fresh cucumber and squeezing out the juice. Now place cotton pads soaked in cucumber juice over the under eye area. Remove the cotton pads after 30 mins and wash off with water.

A cold compress can help reduce swelling and shrink dilated blood vessels. This can reduce the appearance of puffiness and help eliminate dark circles. Wrap a few ice cubes in a clean washcloth and apply it to your eyes. You can also dampen a washcloth with cold water and apply it to the skin under your eyes for 20 minutes for the same effect. Repeat this process if the cloth becomes warm or if the ice melts.

Applying cold tea bags to the eyes can reduce the appearance of dark circles. Tea contains caffeine and other antioxidants that can help stimulate blood circulation, shrunken blood vessels, and reduce liquid retention beneath your skin. Soak two black or green tea bags in hot water for five minutes. Let them chill in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes. Once they’re cold, apply the teabags to your closed eyes for 10 to 20 minutes. After removing, rinse your eyes with cool water.

Use under eye lightening cream – Choose an under eye cream infused with Vitamin C, niacinamide, collagen, and lactic acid. Such ingredients will help reduce the pigmentation and decrease the under eye area. Under eye cream containing hydroquinone also help increase bloodstream, eliminating pigments responsible for dark circles and protecting from the external aggression as well. Retinoids are one of the most powerful ingredients to treat aging-related concerns including under eye dark circles. The regular use of retinol has proven to increase collagen production and skin thickness. While these products are effective in treating your condition it may often cause irritation. Therefore, before picking a retinol cream for dark circles you should consult a medical professional.

Laser Treatment

Laser treatment is an advanced dark circle removal treatment that brightens up your under-eye area as it clears the hyperpigmentation. It diminishes the darkness, puffiness, and even helps with fine lines and creases. The laser uses light energy beamed narrowly to gently exfoliate the skin thereby reducing the darkness in the overall area.

Chemical Peel Treatment

There are many suitable preparations of chemical peels that can reduce the darkness of your under-eye area. Combination peels or sandwich peels can also be used to give better results.

Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy

PRP treatment for the under eye is a regenerative treatment which means that the PRP injection and application leads to stimulation of your own collagen, increased elasticity and, regeneration of new healthy skin tissue for gradual, natural and impressive results that improve in the 2-3 months, following a single treatment. Successive treatments, 1 month apart are recommended for most people for significant results. Individual results may differ depending on your body’s response to the treatment. PRP injection treatments below the skin in the under-eye area will lead to gradual tissue regeneration within days and continue for months.

Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers help in treating loss of cheek volume. Over time, volume loss happens on the face. This can have a considerable effect on the under-eye area. Under-eye fillers can help to define the cheekbones and fill in areas where volume diminishes. Managing the upper cheek with dermal filler often provides great assistance to the under-eye area and diminishes the appearance of the tear trough.