Most people who spot pesky dark circles under their eyes quickly blame their lack of sleep.
While there’s no doubt that getting a decent amount of sleep is important for the under eyes region, being sleep-deprived isn’t the only reason the skin under your eyes starts appearing darker than the rest of your face.
In this post, you’re going to learn about what causes dark circles under eyes and the various ways by which you can treat them. So, let’s begin.
What Causes Dark Circles Under Eyes
Here are some of the most common reasons that could be keeping your under-eye area from looking its best and brightest.
1. You Inherited Poor Genes
That’s right – family history plays a big role in developing dark circles under your eyes. You can be genetically predisposed to dark under eyes.
This is common in people who have Mediterranean backgrounds.
This problem can be seen even in childhood and may worsen as you age, or slowly disappear on its own.
Genetic predisposition to some other medical conditions such as thyroid disease can also cause dark circles under your eyes.
2. Itchy Eyes Due To Eczema Or Allergies
Eczema or other skin allergies may not cause dark circles by themselves but if there’s constant rubbing or itching around the eyes, it will lead to inflammation, swelling, and broken blood vessels in the eye area.
This can make under eyes look darker and bruised. Since the skin around your eyes is the thinnest, swollen or broken blood vessels look even moiré obvious.
Thus, you must get any such conditions treated and avoid rubbing your eyes excessively.
3. Dehydration
If your body is not receiving adequate amount of water, the skin starts appearing dull and dry.
This also affects the skin under your eyes it becomes darker and your eyes look tired.
4. Aging
Aging is another common cause of dark circles under your eyes.
As you grow older, the skin becomes thinner and loses collagen and fats that are necessary to maintain its elasticity.
This makes blood vessels become more visible, causing the area below your eye to look darker.
5. Excessive UV Exposure
Overexposure to the sun leads to an excess of melanin which is the pigment that gives color to your skin.
Getting too much sun causes pigmentation, which becomes visible under the eyes as well.
How To Get Rid Of Under Eye Darkness
Here, we have listed down some ways to minimize the appearance of dark circles that won’t cost you an arm or a leg and you won’t have to do anything special.
1. Apply Cold Compresses
A cold compress can shrink blood vessels and reduce swelling around the eyes. This eliminates dark circles and puffiness.
All you need to do is to wrap a few ice cubes in a clean washcloth and gently apply it to your eyes. Alternatively, you can take a washcloth and soak it in ice-cold water.
Then, squeeze it and apply on your eyes. Keep the cold compress on your eyes for at least 15 to 20 minutes and repeat this process at least twice a day.
2. Increase Your Water Intake
Dehydration is very common and often goes unnoticed. It not only makes your under-eyes look dull but also gives you an overall tired-looking skin.
Make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water daily to meet your body’s water requirements.
You should also include fresh juices, coconut water, cucumbers, watermelons, etc. in your diet.
3. Make Sun Protection A Priority
Just like many other skin issues, darkness under your eyes can also be linked with overexposure to the sun.
The best way to prevent this from happening is to use a high-quality broad-spectrum sunscreen with sufficient SPF.
Also, you should keep in mind that sunscreen must be worn even if it’s cloudy outside. Sun damage occurs due to the harmful UV rays coming in contact with your skin.
These rays are invisible to the human eye and are present even during cloudy days.
4. Use Cold Tea Bags
Caffeine and other antioxidants in tea can stimulate blood circulation, reduce water retention under your eyes, and brighten the under-eye area.
Soak two black or green tea bags in hot water for a few minutes. Then, takeout the bags and let them chill in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
Once they are nice and cold, apply them over closed eyes for about 20 minutes. After that, rinse your eyes with cool water.
Try doing this daily or at least every other day before going to bed.
5. Use Natural Moisturizers For Your Under Eyes
Cold-pressed organic oils such as almond oil and coconut oil are rich in small chain fatty acids and vitamins that can deeply nourish the delicate skin under your eyes.
They can serve as an excellent all-natural moisturizer for your under-eyes.
Apply a few drops of the oil to your under-eyes and gently massage using your finger. Make this part of your nighttime skincare routine.
6. Get Enough Sleep Every Night
Catching up on sleep is also important to keep skin issues, including dark circles, at bay.
Lack of sleep can cause your skin to appear dull and pale, making dark circles more visible. Make sure you get 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night.
To Sum Up
Dark circles under the eyes are a very common skin issue affecting people of all ages. There can be a number of reasons behind dark under eyes.
To prevent this from happening adequate sleep, hydration, and sun protection are important.
Moreover, you can incorporate the above remedies to make your under eyes look fresher and brighter.
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