healthline.comHave you ever woken up and looked into the mirror to see that the skin under your eyes was dark and sunken? These �dark circles� are a fairly common occurrence, and have a variety of potential causes.
What Causes Dark Circles?
It is common knowledge that a lack of sleep can lead to darkness and �bags� to form under the eyes. But per
healthline.com, lack of sleep is only one of a few different causes of dark circles. A dearth of sleep coupled with fatigue can cause the blood vessels under the eyes to darken, and the lower eyelids to droop, resulting in dark circles and bags under the eyes.
Other causes of dark circles include straining of the eyes that can occur from extended time looking at a screen, dehydration, allergic reactions, genetics, and the mere process of aging. As you age, the fat and collagen content in your skin decreases, leading to a thinning of the skin, which causes the dark blood vessels under the eyes to affect the skin color.
Alleviating Dark Circles
How you effectively treat the dark circles under your eyes will depend on what is causing them in the first place. If you are dehydrated or looking at a screen for too long, then addressing those issues directly will probably solve the problem. If the dark circles under your eyes are due to lack of sleep or other causes, more work might be needed.
Good Habits to Prevent Dark Circles
Getting enough sleep is critical, since a lack of shuteye is one of the primary causes of dark circles. Per
healthline.com, getting at least seven to eight hours of sleep a night is best to help prevent dark circles from forming. Sleep hygiene is also critical in ensuring that you get enough sleep. This includes avoiding screens before bedtime, setting regular bedtime and wake times, and not eating a lot before going to bed.
Antioxidant skin care products can go a long way in alleviating and prevent dark circles from forming. Per
medicalnewstoday.com, an antioxidant skin cream applied directly to the affected areas each day is worthwhile, especially one that contains Vitamins C and E.
Avoiding alcohol, or limiting your intake, is a worthwhile habit to avoid getting dark circles under the eyes, per
aarp.org. Alcohol can actually dehydrate the skin, as well as cause the blood vessels under the eyes to dilate and expand. Both of these effects will make you likely to form dark circles.
Natural Remedies for Dark Circles
Cucumber, commonly seen in TV depictions of spa treatments, is actually an excellent aid in ridding dark circles. Per
effectiveremedies.com, cucumber contains a variety of helpful antioxidants and vitamins. When a thin slice of cucumber is applied directly to the area under the eyes, the helpful substances in cucumber will be absorbed directly through the skin. It is recommended that you use this treatment daily until the dark circles disappear.
Applying a cold compress to the eyes and surrounding skin will help to lessen the dilation of the blood vessels under the eyes, per healthline.com. This helps both by lessening the darkness of the skin, and reducing puffiness of the skin and lower eyelids. A damp, cold wash rag applied gently to the affected area for a few minutes each day will work.
Coconut oil can be effective in removing dark circles if used properly, per
effectiveremedies.com. Coconut oil has a generally positive effect when used as a topical skin treatment because of its helpful moisturizing quality. After washing your hands, use your fingers to apply some coconut oil to the area under your eyes, and massage gently for five minutes. Then, let it sit for a few minutes longer, and then rinse with warm water. Do this daily until your symptoms subside.
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Tea bags, specifically green tea, can be effective in reducing dark circles under the eyes. Per
healthline.com, the caffeine in green tea can make for an effective antioxidant, and may increase blood flow to the area under the eyes. The green-tea method is to steep the tea bags in hot water for 3-5 minutes, let them cool in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or so, remove them and squeeze out any excess tea in them, and then apply gently to the dark circles for 15-20 minutes. While this method is unconventional, it can be very effective.
