Beauty is in the Eye...

"I have these dark circles under my eyes. Any suggestions on how to get rid of them?"  - Kitt Kait


Well, as far as what's actually causing them, you need to figure out what the cause is. It might be over doing it the night before or it could be an underlying health issue. Such causes might include:

Allergies – Allergies are a common cause of skin discoloration under the eyes. If an allergy is the root of your problem, treat the allergy, or remove the allergen (namely, the thing to which you're allergic). Seasonal allergy problems such as the hay fever can frequently be effectively treated with over-the-counter and prescription medications. For other allergies, the best course of action is usually avoidance. If your dark circles or puffiness are constant, you may have an undetected food allergy or an allergy to a chemical in your home or workplace. Talk to a dermatologist for help determining what you may be allergic to. People with allergies also tend again to be deficient in B6, folic acid, and B12 on occasion. Taking a multivitamin, if you don't already, may help with your allergies as well as black circles.


Gluten intolerance – Another common allergy that causes dark circles is gluten intolerance, which is an allergy to wheat flour in particular. More severely, you could have celiac disease. To test for celiac disease, have blood tests performed by your doctor. It's important to remember, however, that you can be gluten intolerant, and not have celiac disease.


Build-up of inadequate sleep – If you've been under a lot of stress, or you have insomnia or sleep apnea, your skin will reflect your lack of sleep by looking poor or discolored.


Nasal congestion – a blocked nose can result in dark circles under your eyes because the veins that drain from your eyes to your nose are darkened and dilated.


Pigmentation irregularities – These can cause darker circles under the eyes.


Sun exposure – This can increase melanin production.


Thinning from age – Aging thins the skin, making veins and vessels more obvious as your fat and collagen depletes over time.


Lifestyle factors – Poor nutrition, excess alcohol consumption, too many caffeinated drinks, cigarette smoking, and lack of exercise can all contribute to under-eye discoloration. Consider seeing a nutritionist or dietician if you're concerned about dietary issues.


Heredity – Establish whether or not this condition runs in your family, as under-eye dark circles are believed to frequently be hereditary. This doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything about the conditions, but you should be prepared for minimal success when trying to get rid of them.


Your facial features – Dark circles may be as simple as shadows being thrown by your own features. There isn't much you can do change this other than careful use of cosmetics.


Ok, so once you figure out which one of these is causing the dark circles under your eyes, how do you correct the problem? There are plenty of natural remedies you can use to try and remove dark circles under your eyes.


1.) Slice cucumber into thick slices. Cucumber slices have long been used to reduce puffiness and refresh the appearance of skin around the eyes, providing a fast "pick-me-up" for tired and puffy eyes. Place a slice over each eye, extending over the darkened area. Do this daily, coupled with lying down for 10-15 minutes. Keep your eyes closed.


2.) Apply cool tea bags or an ice cube wrapped in soft cloth to your eyes daily. The tannin in tea bags reduces swelling and discoloration. Lie down, preferably in the morning, and leave the fresh, cool, damp, caffeinated tea bags (you can refrigerate them overnight so they’ll be ready) over your eyes for about 10-15 minutes. Keep your eyes closed.


3.) Pour a saline solution (2 cups water with a 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt^[9] and/or a half tea-spoon of baking soda) in one of your nostrils with your head tilted to the side so that the water comes out the other nostril. It's best used when you're experiencing nasal congestion.


4.) Use a potato. Place one uncooked potato into a liquidizer and liquidize the whole potato. Scoop out and place the pureed potato on your closed eyes .Keep it there for 30 minutes, lying on your back, then wash it off with warm water. This method works well for some people.




Other than that, make sure you get plenty of sleep.  You don't want to over sleep or else you'll still feel really tired and that won't help. For the average adult the magic number is somewhere in between 7-9 hours (mine is 8 hours 15 minutes). You may even want to look into vitamins (such as melatonin) to help you get adequate sleep. Also, stress plays a HUGE factor in sleeping enough and even the circles under your eyes. 


Also, make sure you're eating well. Eat lots of fruits and veggies, especially cabbage, spinach, and other leafy green vegetables—and take a daily vitamin supplement if necessary. Get adequate fluids to improve circulation. Also, reduce your salt (Sodium) intake.  Excess salt causes the body to retain water in unusual places, and this can result in puffiness under the eyes. Too much salt can also impair your circulation, and cause the blood vessels under the skin to appear bluer.


As far as covering them up until you can fix the problem goes, I have found that products with vitamin K in it really seem to help. I personally use a corrective soy protein stick (looks like a flash colored lipstick). I use this under my eyes. Not only does this help to cover the unsightly dark circles, but the soy helps to correct them as well. 


Other than that, if you smoke, cut down or quit. Not only does it contribute to the dark circles but it's unhealthy for the rest of your body in general. And try to relax! Stress is the cause of soooo many health issues! Hope this has helped!