Dark Circles Under Eyes

Dark circles under eyes are commonly caused by broken or ‘leaking’ blood capillaries in the skin. Although this occurs in many areas of the body, it tends to show more in the under eye area, due to the skin being so much thinner and more transparent than elsewhere.

There are a number of solutions to the under eye darkness problem which, after acne, is the most common skin complaint in the U.S.A. Remedies range from the homemade and inexpensive through to costly creams and even surgery. Sometimes the dark circles are because of serious illness, or sometimes even sensitivity to a certain medication. Other times, dark circles under eyes may simply be a lack of restful sleep, poor nutrition or exposure to pollution or sun. For certain people, the darkness is hereditary and an excess of melanin (pigmentation) in the area which is made worse after being in the sun for any length of time.

Some eye skin creams available on the market work towards strengthening the blood capillaries, boosting the skin’s collagen (to improve elasticity) and making the surface layer thicker. Often these preparations include vitamins, peptides and skin rehydrating substances that will also ‘plump’ the skin and help diminish fine lines and wrinkles. Eye brightening serums will often include many of these ingredients as well as some type of skin bleaching substance and light refracting pigments. Because the dark circles under the eyes have a ‘blueish’ tone, certain under eye cosmetics help counteract this by using yellow-toned bases, although these should be used sparingly. Applied the wrong way, or with a heavy hand, these can often make the under eye dark circles appear even more ‘racoon’ like.

Whilst no cosmetic surgery procedure can actually rid the skin of the dark circles under eyes, some people opt for collagen injections, particularly if the under eye area has become more hollow as they have aged. This procedure when combined with a good application of make-up can help to improve the whole under eye area immensely.