Dark Circles
Cause and Treatment
We have all been there. You catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and see the eyes of a tired woman staring back at you and you feel the exhaustion take over. A full night of shut eye is not enough to erase dark circles. It may help diminish their appearance a bit, but to get rid of circles for good, first consider their source.
Cause
Genetics are the biggest culprit in this case. If you inherit fair or thin skin under the eyes, it is more obvious when blood pools there, often because of slower circulation from lack of sleep. This accumulation causes fragile capillaries to stretch and leak.
Age is another factor. Over time, our skin loses collagen and thins down causing the veins to show through more prominently. Sunbathing speeds up this process by breaking down collagen and mottling skin colour. In many cases, seasonal allergies are the reason for this as they trigger the release of histamines in the body which in turn inflames blood vessels and cause swelling.
To determine how your circles happen, gently stretch the skin under your eyes. If that area is darker, the circles are probably due to genetics or aging. If there is no change in colour, the blame might lie at the door of UV rays or allergies.
Treatment
If your circles are the result of vascular issues, double up on pillows at night to stoop blood from building up under your eyes. In the morning apply a cold compress for about five minutes to constrict the blood vessels. It helps to use an eye cream with caffeine, which helps in constricting the vessels. You can also use arnica based creams (found in health food supplements) which are considered to have anti-inflammatory properties, and may reduce the appearance of darkness. Eye creams with green tea and grape seed oil helps strengthen capillary walls as well.
By adding dark chocolate (an ounce a day) and food rich in omega 3 fatty acids (salmon, walnut) to your diet improves blood flow to the skin. For allergy induced circles, consider taking an antihistamine before allergies begin to abate shadows.
And lastly, if the skin is the issue, use a collagen building cream. One that contains retinol as it helps increase collagen production. Vitamin C also encourages production of collagen and can aid with the brightening of skin tone. It is essential to use sun protection or you risk the cancellation of the benefits from any of these treatments. For quick circle camouflage, apply eye cream and let it sink into your skin for a few minutes and top it off with a creamy concealer matching your skin. Set it with a layer of loose powder to prevent makeup from caking in creases.
The writer is a consultant dermatologist at the Al Manar Hospital.
