It can be frustrating to look in the mirror and see deep dark circles under your eyes. If you have circles on the lighter side, you can try using makeup to cover the dark circles but that won't get rid of them. If you have really dark circles under your eyes, often makeup alone can't completely cover them. Instead of trying to cover them up, keep reading below to find ways to help to get rid of under-eye dark circles altogether.
What Causes Dark Circles Under Your Eyes?
Often dark circles under the eyes are due to damaged blood vessels being visible through the thin skin. Different daily choices can either help heal and hide the blood vessels, or they can cause further damage to the blood vessels or thinner skin. Depending on the severity of the darkness, there may be just one cause, or a combination of causes. Thankfully, most of the time dark circles do not need medical attention.
Causes You CAN Control
If you are proactive in taking care of your skin, there are many causes for under-eye dark circles that you can control. Some are easier to correct than others, but they're all worth giving a try to see if they work for you.
Not Getting Enough Sleep and The Way You Sleep
When you are tired, your whole body is affected. Your lack of sleep will appear on your face with a dull complexion and puffy eyes. The lack of sleep can also enhance the dark circles under your eyes making them more apparent.
An easy fix is to get more sleep and to be mindful of the way you sleep. By getting more sleep, not only will you be more rested, but your body will be able to repair the damaged blood vessels while you are sleeping. Sleeping on your back is the best way to reduce puffiness and the dark circles under your eyes. When you sleep with your face down, liquid pools in your face which makes the eyes puffy and dark lines more noticeable. Having your head elevated while sleeping on your back allows fluid to drain from your face instead of being trapped in your face, especially around your eyes.
Diet, Diet, Diet
What we put in our body can negatively affect our facial complexion and make the dark circles more noticeable. Alcohol and foods that are high in salt are dehydrating which makes the skin look worse, including the thin skin around the eyes. High consumption of alcohol can also cause damage to the blood vessels which darkens the circles underneath your eyes.
Another commonly overlooked solution that is part of your diet is staying hydrated. We were shocked to learn that 3 out of 4 people experience dehydration every day. Staying hydrated helps plump your skin and improve its elasticity, helping reduce the appearance of under-eye circles.
Causes You Can’t Control
Now you know the causes you can control, unfortunately, there are some causes of dark circles under the eyes that you cannot control. These include aging and genetics.
Aging
While aging is inevitable for everyone, there are things you can do to minimize the impact of aging on your skin, including the skin under your eyes. As your body ages, it produces less collagen. Collagen makes your skin plumper and firmer. The drop in collagen makes the dark circles under your eyes more apparent because the skin is not as thick as it once was, revealing more imperfections than it did before. Adding a collagen supplement to your daily routine may help enhance the appearance of your skin.
Genetics
Some people, no matter how many different treatments they try, will always have some extent of dark circles under their eyes due to their genetics. The medical term for genetic dark circles is periorbital hyperpigmentation. While the genetic predisposition for dark circles will always be there, there are things that can be done to actively combat the severity of the dark circles.
3 Ways to Get Rid of Under-Eye Dark Circles at Home
In addition to removing some of the causes of dark circles from your life, below are a few different treatments you can try on your own to get rid of the appearance of dark circles under your eyes.
Gua Sha (or Jade Rolling)
Using a gua sha or jade roller works much like a cold compress would because the stones used are often cold to the touch, which helps reduce swelling. The movement of the stone helps improve circulation in the face which diminishes the appearance of the dilated blood vessels and helps improve the appearance of your complexion.
Derma Rolling (Micro Needling At Home)
Although derma rolling and micro needling are often used interchangeably, there is a slight difference between the two. Both use needles to create microtears in the skin which causes the body to produce more collagen, which enhances the texture and appearance of your skin. Also, the openings in the skin’s outer layer allows skin products applied after treatment to be better absorbed. However, micro needling is an in-office treatment that often uses longer needles and requires numbing creams. Because the longer needle penetrates the skin to a deeper degree, micro needling treatments require a longer time for your skin to rest between treatments. Derma rolling, on the other hand, is the same process of using needles to create microtears but since it uses a shorter needle, it can be done at home on a regular basis.
Effective derma rolling can reduce the appearance of under-eye dark circles by stimulating collagen production and increasing circulation. When derma rolling, it is important to always follow proper usage techniques and to not over microneedle an area.
ElumeStemCell Skin Care Routine
Many people are tired of the typical “at home” tips and tricks that only slightly work, or deliver short lasting results at best. And they don’t want to invest the time or money to go to a spa to have the work done, only to need to return the following month. That’s why we created the ElumeStemCell Facial Kit that includes everything you need to get medical grade skin care at home. The combination of our Daily Illuminating Face Serum and Hydra Serum will brighten skin, which helps diminish the appearance of dark circles under the eyes, and minimize the pooling of fluid under-eyes as they promote blood flow. Both of these are great for getting rid of dark circles.
Looking for Professional Help?
If you're wanting to seek professional help for your under-eye dark circles, you can speak to your dermatologist, or even reach out to your favorite local spa and see which esthetician treatments they offer. Some common treatments such as chemical peels, laser therapy and fillers can be effective at reducing the appearance of under-eye dark circles. Many spas are starting to offer alternative treatments, including ElumeStemCell’s Hydra Serum, to help customers reduce dark circles under-eyes and achieve the youthful glowing skin they desire.