The first thing that will pop into your head when you look at someone having dark circles under eyes is that they might be under a lot of stress or may not be sleeping very well.
This ‘assumption’ may not be true for everyone and there are many causes if dark circles appear early on in life.
Significant amount of money is spent every year, specifically by women on cosmetic products to blend/hide the blemishes, dark spots, scars and dark circles.
Dark circles under eyes need a customized treatment plan.
However, the treatment is difficult because there is no single/identifiable cause for the condition. Consulting your doctors can help rule out some major treatable causes of dark circles.
They can help in planning a proper eye and skincare routine for achieving optimum results.
What causes dark circles under eyes?
Dark under the eyes can appear due to many reasons like:1
- Generalized fluid retention in the body due to conditions of the heart, liver, kidney, or thyroid; also leads to a collection of fluid around the eyes. This can cause either puffy eyes or make the tear trough stand out. The tear trough is a line running from the upper end of your nose towards the cheeks.
- Allergies could cause dark circles under eyes since they may resolve leaving behind Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH) contributed by constant rubbing of the eyes.
- They could be due to the after-effects of a surgical procedure done locally on your eyelids, nose, and even chemical peels done for any reason.
- Nutritional deficiencies– The deficiency of Iron and Vitamin K is associated with the appearance of dark circles.
- Some people have dark circles that are visible from an early age, due to the facial features they are born with. For example, eyes that are set relatively deeper inside the orbits (sockets of bones that contain the eyeballs) or lesser fat content supporting the skin surrounding the eyes.
But mostly dark circles are due to stress and lifestyle factors that you can improve like:
- Decreasing Alcohol/Coffee/Tea intake
- A healthy and balanced diet with increased water intake
- Sleeping 6-8 hours a day and following a
- Good skincare routine involving under-eye creams that contain substances mentioned below.
Natural/chemical substances that can act on dark circles under eyes
Vitamins
Vitamin A is also known as Retinol. It helps to maintain healthy skin by promoting the function and maturation of the skin cells.
Vitamin K is normally produced in our bodies. There are breaks in our blood vessels day in and day out. Vitamin K plays a role in sealing these breaks in the vessels. It is thus, helpful in those who have minute bleeding into the skin as the underlying reason for the appearance of dark circles under eyes.
Vitamin C and E function as an antioxidant to prevent the effects of harmful chemicals produced inside our bodies. In addition, they also decrease the wrinkles, and can also act on the pigment around the eyes.
Keeping tea bags over the eyes works partially in the same manner as vitamins. They can work like antioxidants as tea contains tannins, flavonoids, and some other chemicals. These chemicals can work by constricting the blood vessels around the eyes.
Additional chemicals
Peptides & polysaccharides – Hyaluronic acid and Collagen add volume to the skin by retaining water. They improve the appearance of dark circles under eyes by moisturizing them.
Caffeine constricts the blood vessels and can thus, hide the dark circles by giving them a paler look.
Hydroquinone, Kojic acid, Arbutin, Glycolic acid are some of the depigmenting chemicals present in some formulations. These chemicals act by attacking the pigment present around the eyes. However, they may cause irritation and allergic reactions after application. Therefore, they should be used after a detailed discussion of your skincare routine with your doctor.
In conclusion, these are the main ingredients present in under-eye creams available on the market. However, vitamins discussed above are sometimes not mentioned in the list of ingredients on a product label. But since they are mostly fat-soluble so are indirectly present in the various oils and extracts mentioned.2
Formulations that contain multiple if not all of the above-mentioned components should be preferred. Additionally, it is better to consult a doctor for a customized treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.
Sun-protective measures
The harmful effect of sunlight can make the dark circles under eyes to stand out.
Therefore, it is important to adopt sun-protective measures along with the use of eye creams.
- Sunscreens with an adequate SPF and eye shades or glasses that broadly cover the eyes should be used.
- Some eye creams already contain sun-blockers, which is an added advantage.
- Despite the best efforts, sometimes significant results are difficult to achieve and aren’t long-lasting without undergoing any medical/surgical procedure.
- Those who aren’t ready to undergo such procedures can still use concealers, facial self-tanners, and other cosmetic methods to hide the dark circles.
- Cosmetic procedures like injecting fillers around the eyes are a workaround but have to be done repeatedly.
- LASER procedures, chemical peels, and some eye surgeries can also help in achieving better-looking eyes.
The decision to undergo such procedures is yours.
In conclusion, dark circles are mostly a cosmetic concern once any underlying medical cause is ruled out after a detailed discussion with your doctor.
References
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/dark-circles-under-eyes/basics/causes/sym-20050624?p=1
- Reddy P, Jialal I. Biochemistry, Fat Soluble Vitamins. [Updated 2022 Sep 19]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023.
