How to Get Rid of Dark Circles

Dark circles under your eyes

Are dark circles a severe health problem? Not really, but many people feel that dark circles under their eyes make them look tired, older, or unhealthy.

There are a number of methods — both natural and medically prescribed — that people use to get rid of or lessen the appearance of, dark circles under their eyes. Although not all of these treatments are permanent, with maintenance and consistency they will help reduce the appearance of dark circles.

Why do I have dark circles under my eyes?

Although dark circles under your eyes are most commonly caused by fatigue, there are other causes as well, including:

1. allergies
2. allergic rhinitis (hay fever)
3. atopic dermatitis (eczema)
4. contact dermatitis
5. heredity
6. pigmentation irregularities
7. scratching or rubbing eyes
8. sun exposure

Another cause of dark circles is the natural aging process. When you age, you tend to lose fat and collagen, and your skin often thins. This can make the reddish-blue blood vessels under your eyes more prominent.

Also, as people age, they commonly develop puffy eyelids or hollows under their eyes. Sometimes these physical changes cast shadows that can appear to be dark circles under the eyes

How to get rid of dark circles

There are a number of ways that people report they’ve eliminated or reduced the appearance of dark circles under their eyes. Everybody is different, so some of these remedies might not work for you.

As with any treatment, it’s always a good idea to review your plans with your doctor before testing them out on yourself.

Sleep

Fatigue and a lack of sleep can cause dark circles under your eyes. It can also make you look paler, which might make your dark circles appear darker. Make sure you’re getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night and practicing good sleep hygiene.

Elevation

When you sleep, try extra pillows under your head to lessen the puffiness of fluid pooling in your lower eyelids.

Cold

Sometimes dilated blood vessels can darken the area under your eyes. A cold compress can cause the blood vessels to constrict, which may result in a lessening of the dark circles.

Sun

Reduce or eliminate sun exposure to your face.

Moisturizers

There are a number of over-the-counter moisturizers that might help you with the dark circles under your eyes. Many of them contain caffeine, vitamin E, aloe, hyaluronic acid, and/or retinol.

Cucumber

Proponents of natural healing suggest chilling thick slices of cucumbers and then placing the chilled slices on the dark circles for about 10 minutes. Then rinse the area with water. Repeat this treatment twice a day.

Almond oil and vitamin E

Natural healing advocates suggest mixing equal amounts of almond oil and vitamin E and then, just prior to bedtime, gently massaging the mixture into the dark circles. In the morning, wash the area with cold water. Repeat the process nightly until the dark circles disappear.

Benefits of vitamin E

Vitamin E provides moisture and locks in water, resulting in plump and hydrated skin. It’s soothing and has also been shown to decrease skin wrinkle volume, making it a great anti-aging option. “Powerful antioxidant properties make vitamin E oil effective in fighting off free radicals and reducing UV damage while softening the appearance of hyperpigmentation and wrinkles around the under-eye area,” explains Courtney Rashidi, an in-house licensed aesthetician of Perfect Image. Using vitamin E oil and almond oil together on the under-eye area can help to lighten dark circles and reduce under-eye puffiness, due to the combination of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that these two oils contain.

Vitamin K

A study Source showed that placing a pad (which contained a mixture that included caffeine and vitamin K) under the eye resulted in a reduction in wrinkle depth and dark circles.

Tea bags

Natural healers suggest soaking two teabags — use caffeinated tea — in warm water and then chilling the bags in the refrigerator for a few minutes. Place a bag on each eye. After five minutes, remove the tea bags and rinse the area with cold water.

What your doctor might suggest for dark circles

Your doctor might offer a medical option, depending on their diagnosis of the cause of the circles under your eyes. That recommendation might include the following.

Skin-lightening cream

To lighten under-eye hyperpigmentation, a dermatologist might prescribe a skin-lightening cream with azelaic acid, kojic acid, glycolic acid, or hydroquinone. Some of these creams, in formulas with lower percentages of the active ingredient, are available over the counter.

Laser therapy

Laser treatments use heat energy to vaporize damaged cells. The darker pigment under the eyes can be targeted. Along with lightening darker skin tones, laser therapy may induce new collagen formation.

Chemical peels

A dermatologist might suggest a light chemical peel to lighten dark pigmentation under the eyes. Commonly these will include glycolic acid, retinoic acid or hydroquinone. Your dermatologist might also suggest a Jessner peel, which includes a combination of salicylic acid, lactic acid, and resorcinol.

Blepharoplasty

Fat can be surgically removed in a lower lid blepharoplasty by a plastic surgeon, oculoplastic surgeon, or dermatologic surgeon. The procedure can decrease the shadow cast by your eyelid, which can decrease the appearance of dark circles.

Fillers

A hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler such as Restylane or Juvederm can be injected into the tissue under the eye by an ophthalmologist, dermatologist, plastic surgeon, or specially trained healthcare provider. Fillers help with volume loss under the eye, which can cause dark circles.

When to see a doctor

If swelling and discoloration appear under only one eye, you should talk to your doctor about it, especially if it appears to get worse over time.

The takeaway

Although having dark circles under your eyes typically isn’t a health concern, you might want them to disappear for cosmetic reasons.

There are a number of home remedies and medical treatments for removing or reducing the appearance of dark circles. You should check with your doctor to see which one is best for you.

Grab the color-correcting concealer

Marcus explains that concealers only help camouflage dark circles. In other words, they won’t help reduce puffiness.

That’s why she recommends using an eye cream with a concealer: Apply an eye cream to help treat the cause and the symptoms, then use concealer to address any lingering darkness.

“Concealer will apply more smoothly onto hydrated skin,” she notes. “So, applying a hydrating eye cream helps prime the skin for concealer application.”

When you’re in a pinch, concealer alone can still make a difference. So, when that important meeting or event sneaks up on you, reach for a little color-correcting concealer. Try:

• orange if you have a darker skin tone
• pink if you have a lighter skin tone
• yellow if your circles tend to look extra purple.