Tips for Treating Dark Under Eye Circles

Whether you’re battling seasonal allergies, sun damage or genetics, dark under eye circles can make you feel old, tired and unhealthy.

Fortunately there are a variety of treatment options on the market, which depend on the cause and color of your under eye circles.

Blue Under Eye Circles

Bluish under eye circles tend to get worse with age, but they can also be genetic. Thinning skin combined with a loss of collagen can cause bluish circles – especially in the morning. When you’re lying down at night, fluids accumulate and the veins underneath your eyes expand to hold more blood.

Over-The-Counter Treatments

• Topical creams containing stimulating ingredients like caffeine can cause the blood vessels under the eyes to temporarily constrict, reducing the amount of pooled blood.
• Hydrating creams that contain plumping ingredients like hyaluronic acid can push the skin up and away from pooled blood.

Professional Treatments

• Prescription-strength retinoids are an option for those suffering with chronic under eye circles. Retinoids bolster skin thickness and elasticity – while also slowing down the skin’s natural breakdown of collagen.
• Hyaluronic acid fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm can plump the skin underneath the eyes, concealing blueness. Results last for up to a year or longer, but routine treatments will be necessary to maintain results long term.

Brown Under Eye Circles

Brown under eye circles are common with Asian and African American skin tones. They can be due to a variety of factors such as natural hyperpigmentation (uneven skin tone), excessive sun exposure, genetics or chronic under eye rubbing.

Over-The-Counter Treatments

• Skin brightening treatments that contain soy or citrus can lighten up dark under eye skin when used on a regular basis. However, it’s important to avoid hydroquinone (a natural skin lighter for scars and sun spots) because it’s too strong for sensitive under eye skin.

Professional Treatments

• Chemical peels are an affordable and effective treatment for brown under eye circles. Generally speaking, they respond best to low-concentration TCA peels which cause the damaged outer layers of skin to slough off. More than one treatment may be necessary to achieve desired results.
• For more dramatic enhancement, laser resurfacing techniques such as Fraxel can be used to destroy pigment cells – causing the skin to even out. Two or three sessions are usually needed before significant results are visible.

Article Source: CNN

Photo Source: Flickr