Easy Treatments for Dark Eye Circles

Jun 20, 2010
Priya Chauhan

Dark Circles can be Treated at Home with Tea Bags - M. Redecke

Dark shadows under the eyes can be caused by poor diet, inadequate sleep and allergies. Here are various methods of how to easily treat the problem at home.

Dark circles around the eyes can be caused by lack of sleep, sun exposure or even allergies. Often dark circles are a sign that more rest is required, but the cause needs to be identified in order to find an appropriate solution.

Causes for Dark Circles Under the Eyes

Lack of sleep means the adrenal glands get tired, causing the circles to look even darker. Allergies to products can trigger dark circles. This can vary from creams, hair sprays to fragrances. Hayfever can cause itchy eyes and if rubbed vigorously lead to dark circles. Here are the main causes of dark eye circles:

Aging can cause folds of skin under the eyes to become more pronounced (leading to dark shadows).
Allergies such as atopic dermatitis cause itchiness, and if eyes are rubbed vigorously lead to darker skin.
Eye strain, caused by tired periorbital muscles as a result of excessive reading, computer use and watching TV can lead to dark circles around the eyes.
Dark eye circles can be be hereditary and run in families.
Poor diet, including high alcohol and caffeine consumption can lead to poor skin condition.
Nasal congestion can darken the veins that drain from the eyes to the nose.
Pigmentation irregularities can lead to dark skin particularly with black and Asian skin.
Sun exposure produces more melanin leading to hyper-pigmentation and thin skin under the eye can become darker.
Thinning skin and loss of fat makes the reddish-blue blood vessels under eyes more obvious.
Treatment with minocycline can result in grayish skin.

Treatment for Dark Circles

Simple treatments can help to improve the appearance of dark circles. The following treatments combined with adequate rest can be effective in boosting the health of skin around the eyes:

A cold compress (such as two frozen teaspoons, cucumber slices or chilled used teabags) can temporarily reduce dilated and discolored under-eye blood vessels.
Tea bags contain tannins that also help with eliminating any inflammation.
Extra pillows used when sleeping prevent puffiness in the eyes that develops from fluid pooling into the lower eyelids.
Adequate sleep reduces shadows and circles becoming more obvious due to eye bags.
Dark glasses and sunscreen prevent extra pigment from a tan that can make circles worse.
Rinsing sinuses with a saltwater solution or over-the-counter saline spray can help relieve nasal congestion (which prevents dark circles resulting from sinus problems).
Creams such as hydroquinone or kojic acid combined with a good concealer may be useful in camouflaging inherited dark eye circles while reducing fluid buildup under the eyes.

Identifying the cause of dark circles around the eyes is the best way to find a solution. Adequate sleep, rest of eyes and cooling treatments in the home can help to keep the skin brighter. Cosmetics such as concealers can also camouflage inherited dark circles. If more sleep and better diet doesn’t make a difference it may be a good idea to consult a doctor.

Sources:

MayoClinic.com Dark Circles Under Eyes (accessed June 19, 2010)

McKeith, Gillian 500 of the Most Important Health Tips You’ll Ever Need Cico Books, 2001

Priya Chauhan - A designer, topic editor and feature writer (for Hinduism) and all round experimenter of healthy living; Priya enjoys being creative, and ...