Under Eye Circles: Addressing the Cause

Dark under-eye circles are, unfortunately, a common problem most of us face when we look in the mirror. The first thing we must do is to try and address the cause of such circles and here’s how:

Get your beauty sleep: Lack of sleep tends to cause our skin to become paler, thus increasing the appearance of darkness under the eyes. It also reduces circulation. It is thus important for each and every one of us to determine how much sleep we need – usually 7 to 9 hours per night will suffice, but this might vary for different people at different times throughout their lives. If sleep does not come easily, you might wish to get adequate vitamins that assist sleep.

Also remember that alcohol and drugs can adversely affect the quality of your sleep. It is therefore best to abstain from these.

Treat your allergies: A common cause of skin discolouration is actually allergies. If an allergy is the root of your problem, then the best solution would be to treat that allergy or else remove the allergen.

Fix nasal congestion: A blocked nose can also result in dark circles under your eyes because the veins around the sinuses will darken and dilate.

Eat well: Make sure to eat a healthy, balanced diet, to take vitamins and to drink plenty of water… this will minimise dark circles and puffiness. Also ensure that you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, especially cabbage, spinach and other leafy green vegetables. Reducing salt intake will also help.

Examine your smoking habit and quit! Smoking causes problems in your blood vessels, making them appear more prominent and bluer.

Relax: Sleeping might help improve or even remove sources of stress and anxiety. In turn, relaxing enough will help the skin beneath your eyes to improve as you feel less stressed and more at ease.

Accept what you can’t change: Unfortunately, there are some causes of under-eye circles that you cannot reverse, such as pigmentation irregularities, sun exposure and thinning from age. Moreover, under-eye circles could also be hereditary.