Lighten up! Nobody wants to deal with extra baggage and dark circles can make you feel like you’ve got the weight of the world written on your face. Today we help “unmask” the mystery of dark circles under the eyes.
Going in circles?
Dark circles under the eyes have many causes. Allergies, eczema, good old fashioned genes (dark under-eye circles can run in families) and lifestyle factors, such as physical or emotional stress, smoking or chronic alcohol use can take a toll on your appearance. Other causes include nasal congestion, which can dilate and darken the veins that drain from your eyes to your nose; pigmentation irregularities, these are a particular concern for people of color, especially blacks and Asians; rubbing or scratching your eyes; sun exposure, which prompts your body to produce more melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color and thinning skin and loss of fat and collagen, which commonly occurs as we age, can make the reddish-blue blood vessels under your eyes more obvious.
Caring for circles at home
Mild to moderate dark circles often respond well to simple and inexpensive treatments. Cold can temporarily reduce discolored and dilated blood vessels under the eye. Options include the application of a cold compress, chilled teaspoons, or a bag of frozen peas.When you sleep, elevate your head with two or more pillows to prevent puffiness that develops when fluid pools in your lower eyelids. Rest up! Though too few hours of shut eye don’t usually cause under-eye circles, a lack of sleep makes you paler and more hollow-eyed; making shadows and circles you already have stand out. 
Protect your peepers with dark glasses and sunscreen. Although a tan might hide dark circles in the short term, in the long run, the extra pigment it produces can make circles worse. Saline washes or sprays. Rinsing your sinuses with a saltwater solution (mix 1/4 teaspoon sea salt with 2 cups warm water) or over-the-counter saline spray can help relieve nasal congestion. Head to the cosmetics counter. Hundreds of skin creams that claim to reduce or prevent under-eye circles crowd department store and drugstore shelves. The results of one study showed that a serum containing plant-based compounds, including root extracts and Brazilian suma, significantly improved the appearance of dark under-eye circles. Cover up. The right concealer can do just that — hide dark circles. If the circles under your eyes are bluish, use a peach-colored concealer, not one that’s white or gray. And avoid scented products and those containing salicylic or glycolic acid, which can irritate delicate eye tissue, making redness and swelling worse.
Cross out circles
Fill ‘er up! If self care does not work, then we recommend under eye injections using gel fillers to “thicken” the skin over the blood vessels that are just underneath the skin. The image above shows the before and after of a patient in her 30’s. This in-office 15 minute treatment used 1.0cc of Belotero Gel Filler under the eyes. The after photo was taken immediately after the treatment.
We are here to help you look and feel your best!
Warmly,
Dr. DeGraaff and the staff at Advanced Life Clinic
