How to Fade Dark Circles
Ah dark circles, brings back memories of every time you would leave the house with no concealer and hear “are you feeling okay today” a million times. Despite everyone and their dog commenting on your dark circles everytime they make an appearance it’s easy to forget that tons and I mean tons of people deal with them.
That’s because so many different things can cause dark circles to appear. Some causes of dark circles include but are not limited to:
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Not sleeping enough
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Allergies
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Dehydration
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Alcohol
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Aging
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Genetics
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Your eye shape
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The sun
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Smoking
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Rubbing your eyes
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Stress
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Do you see so many things!
What are Dark Circles?
Dark circles look like uneven discoloration under the eye with a higher concentration of color in the inner corner of the eye, can sometimes look puffy and can range in color from blueish purple to a yellowish brownish.
There are more than one type of dark circle and oftentimes can have more than one cause. They are also some of the most difficult things to treat given that the skin under your eyes is very thin and is so close to well you know….your eye. Since seeing improvement with dark circles relies heavily on understanding why they are there in the first place, let's take a look at different types of dark circles.
How to fade dark circles at home
Circle 1: The classic
The classic dark circle looks like a deep purple or blue despite how it may look there is no change in color of the skin. What happened is the skin has thinned out or has become pale and dull allowing for the blood vessels to become more visible.
The most common causes of a classic dark circle are lack of sleep, dehydration, alcohol and smoking. Not only can making sure you have more water and less alcohol with a good night's rest to improve your dark circles but elevating your head while you sleep and some lymphatic drainage massage can help as well.
Ingredients to look for would include caffeine, vitamin K and peptides
Circle 2: Pigmentation
Pigmentation circles are yellow or brown in color and can appear on both upper eyelids, under eye area, brows and surrounding areas . These types of dark circles are usually genetic or hereditary but can also be associated with the causes of vascular and allergic dark circles too.
This type of dark circle usually responds well to topical treatments although in office treatments make the biggest impact on reducing their appearance.
Ingredients to look for would include arbutin, vitamins C & E, azelaic acid, and sunscreens
Circle 3: Puffy or swollen
These are not really dark circles but can often be mistaken for one. They usually appear to be very puffy and shadowy under or around the eyes especially if you are rubbing your eyes. This is normally an allergic reaction or a build up of fluids.
The best course of action for this would be to use antihistamines. You can also use a cold compress or lightly massage around the eye area (please do not poke your eye), if these seem to be persistent with no signs of improvement it would be best to bring it up with your doctor.
There are not a lot of topical solutions that would be best for swollen eyes, it would be best to talk to your allergist or dermatologist. Once the swelling and irritation has gone down and there is still some color left, use some of the tips listed above.
Circle 4: Structure
While again these are more of undereye bags instead of dark circles, they can be accompanied by pigmentation issues or they appear to have a constant shadow along with puffiness.
This type of dark circle is more so a shadow cast by the area around the eye and is primarily associated with aging. Loss of volume and elasticity play a role in how the under eye area changes in appearance as we age. There are also fat deposits that settle in under our eyes and when combined with the hollowing of the surrounding area can leave a shadowy look under the eye especially if the lighting is less than ideal.
Ingredients to look for would be peptides and retinol.* However topical products alone will not reduce their appearance as effectively as in office treatments.
*If you have chronically dry eyes check with your derm or eye doctor before using retinol products around the eye area
Treatments to look for when treating dark circles
lymphatic drainage/ massage
Lymphatic or massage in general is something you can do at home or with your esthetician to reduce puffiness.
High frequency
Normally used to help shorten the life cycle of a breakout using a high frequency wand can improve the appearance of dark circles.
Lasers
There are a variety of lasers that can be used for dark circles and these will probably be one of the treatments that yield the best results for most types of dark circles.
Chemical Peels
Lactic or glycolic peels, applied by a professional do not exfoliate your eyes at home, can greatly improve the appearance of dark circles.
Fillers
For eyes that are a little more sunken in fillers is a great way to treat your dark circles and have immediate results.
Surgery
Specially blepharoplasty helps in reducing the shadows that are caused by fat deposits in the skin.. mostly because they will be removed.
What to expect when treating dark circles
There is no set time frame when it comes to treating dark circles especially if you are only using topicals. Not only is there no definable timeline, but there is a chance of your dark circles improving in appearance but never disappearing completely. If you completely reduce the look of dark circles and you stop doing whatever it was that did it for you, they more than likely will come back.
When to make an appointment?
Honestly if you bought and went through any eye cream and didn’t receive your desired results you might just want to pop in to your esti or derm. When it comes to dark circles a guided approach with a professional will get you better results in a better time frame.
Now that we have a better understanding of dark circles, their causes and some tips to help minimize them we are ready to face the day bright eyed and bushy tailed! If you’re looking to update your eye cream to something that works for you feel free to create (or update) your profile to consult a licensed esthetician.
Disclaimer: Dermava blogs are for educational and entertainment purposes only, they are not to replace advice and/or consultation given by medical or credited skin care professionals.
