Dark under eye circles are for many of us a fact of life we can not seem to escape. At times the Causes are simply a lack of sleep or stress which makes our face look drawn and almost zombie like. At others it is a skin condition or at the worst a medical condition. Over the course of this Article we will address the causes of dark under eye circles in Adults in Section One and in Children in Section two, as well as the Remedies either cosmetic, medical or natural.
Section One: Adults
First we must understand that the skin beneath the eyes is one of the thinnest on the Body. Every little change seems to be magnified and shows strongly. Those of us with fair complexion further more show it the most. Often times these under the eye circles are persistent and give us a continuously tired, sallow and worn out look. Making our Faces look older then we really are. Needless to say, that is not something we are striving for.
Let us take a look at some of the Factors of what can cause these unsightly “Raccoon Eyes” and what we can do to diminish them.
Family Genetics can be a factor.
Dark under eye circles can run in a family, more often seen in those with fair complexion then in darker skins. In that case sadly the only option we really have is to use cosmetics to cover them up. Use a yellow based concealer and blend it in carefully, please make sure not to rub it in too hard. You don’t need to stretch or damage the already sensitive area under your eyes. An artful applied eye make-up that draws the eyes of the beholder to the upper eye Area can help as well. By using whites under your eyebrows and then sexy, tastefully or elegantly matched with other colors in combination with a brown or black eyeliner and mascara will make it appear more as an illusionary shadow then an actual under eye circle. A nice hairstyle, colorful clothing or darker lipstick all can help in deverting the attention away from the problem area. Make sure to get enough Vitamins E & D as well as sleep to not further darken those circles.
Lack or poor quality sleep.
The lack of sleep or poor quality sleep cause the blood vessels to become more pronounced under your skin. Your eyes are the first sign of sleepless nights.
Here the solution is pretty simple. Try to get more sleep. If the not the amount of sleep but the quality is the problem, find out what causes you to toss and turn at night. At times when we have a bad mattress that doesn’t suit our particular body types we can wake up constantly and going back to sleep can pose a problem. Pillows can be the culprit as well. Make sure you have a relaxed atmosphere before you drift off to sleep. A sleep inducing incense or oil can be helpful, sometimes even a satchel under the pillow. Lavender/Vanilla or Jasmine/Vanilla are relaxing and calming fragrances used in Aromtherapy. A nice cup of milk (hot with honey) or refreshingly cool can also aid your sleep. The Calcium in the Milk is a relaxing factor. Lactose intolerant or just don’t like the taste of Milk, try a cup of herbal tea. Chamomile (use the tea for drinking and the tea bags after for placing over your eyes – helps to relax the eye area and is a natural antinflamatory) or a mixture of mint and lemongrass can help you as well. Make sure your room is well ventilated and not too hot or cold for your liking.
Too much Sun Exposure can be the culprit as well.
If you don’t take proper care of your skin during sun exposure you are running a high risk of not only Cancer but can also triggering age spots around the eyes. This can weaken the skin even further, which in turn can lead to dark under the eye circles.
Don’t misunderstand me here, I am not advising you to stay out of the sun. Our Bodies need sun or we can easily fall into depression if we are deprived of the necessary sun light. Just be smart while going out into the sun. Stay out of the hottest heat, wear a Hat or put on SPF 15 or higher. For us woman there are foundations that have the SPF factors already included. A nice cool Wash clothe treatment after sun exposure is helpful and refreshing as well. Just put a cold compress over your eyes gently for about 10 minutes to once again shrink the veins to their normal size.
Too much smoking or salt use.
Smoking or the use of too much dietary salt can cause the veins to retain too much fluids, therefore becoming engorged and dilated. The obvious course of action is to watch your salt intake and either reduce your smoking habits or quit smoking all together if you are able.
Your Diet might be at fault.
Extreme weightloss is often a factor as well. The Body is reacting to the changes. When you are on a diet make sure to lose the weight at a healthy pace. Make certain to get the required Vitamins and Minerals your body needs and to eat healthy.
Simply getting old.
As we get old the fat pads under our eyes start shrinking which gives us that shrunken in look. At this point you can either see a cosmetic surgon and discuss cosmetic procedures or you can once again reach for the good and tried make up magic. However, a good diet and a healthy active lifestyle can help you stay younger looking.
Stress
Stress is a silent killer of humankind. Not only can it cause us to have mental and physical ailments if kept unchecked, but it can wreak havoc with our looks as well. By trying to reduce your stress, you can help reduce the appearance of dark under eye circles.
The wrong Make-up.
Believe it or not if you purchase make up (foundations and powders) that are too heavy for your particular skin it can cause minor bruising under your eyes. That is why a smart make up Artist avoid pushing, rubbing or applying of make up too heavy handed under this very delicate Area of your Face.
Allergies.
If you suffer from Hay Fever or other Sinus Related Allergies you can find your Under the Eye Area affected as well. See a Doctor or purchase some over the counter medicine to take care of your allergies. Once you have those under control your under the eye circles will diminish as well.
Section Two: Children
What however is the cause in dark under eye Circles in our littlest ones? Research has shown that dark under eye circles are more prominent in fair skinned Children. It however is no reason to panic. Besides the lack of sleep that even kids have at one point or the other the origin is often as simple as congestion of the nose. This congestion of the nose causes the fine little veins around the eyes to darken and grow larger.
Kids are more prone to Allergies and Colds then us adults.
Summertime Hay fevers, recurring colds and allergies or a chronic sinus infection can be to blame. Constant breathing through the mouth due to abnormally large adenoids can be counted as the core problem in some cases as well. See a Doctor and have him address and fix the problem. By describing the appropriate medical procedure in case of Adenoids this can be brought under control at a very young age.
Treat the underlying cause of the dark eyes;
be it by using allergy medicine for allergy or hay fever or other medicines and the dark circles will disappear.
Try a washcloth Treatment.
Since dark circles are a result of enlarged veins you can help them vanish by “shrinking” those Veins again. Try applying cold washcloth compresses to the area. Wring the cloth out for 10 – 15 min in cold water and make sure to reapply it often. If your child is a little fussy (for younger ones around 3 Years) you can also soak the Washcloth in a cooled down chamomile tincture. (Strongly diluted Chamomile Tea).
Make sure they have the sleep their little Bodies need.
If you have kids you already know the bedtime battles we all face. No matter how much they protest and think they have all the sleep they need, kids need to get their 8 Hours of sleep and their undisturbed REM Periods. Make their Bedtime a constant and set Ritual which makes it easier for them to go to sleep.
We can see Advertisements all over the News, Magazines and TV Advertisements for quick fixes for dark under the eye circles. Before you spend hundreds of Dollars on Remedies that may or not work please try to work with the causes listed above first and see if by treating the culprits you can go the natural route, if not please make certain to ask questions on Forums first. Get unpaid testimonies and read the labels carefully
