The Root Causes
Allergies: An often ignored cause of dark circles is allergies. Experts say that most forms of allergies including cosmetic allergies lead to inflammation of the blood vessels below the eyes which in turn increases their visibility through the under-eye skin. Constant itching of the eyes caused by allergens compounds the problem by making the area around the eyes darker than usual. It is imperative that you stay away from allergy-inducing elements and consult a doctor if prone to airborne allergies.
Heredity: Genetics, unfortunately have a dominant role to play in the formation of dark circles. If the condition runs in your family, you are most likely to be handed over the baton to and must be prepared to encounter some stiff resistance as you attempt to get rid of them.
Dehydration: In most cases, depriving the body of adequate amount of water reflects in the area around the eyes. The phrase ‘make sure to drink 8-10 glasses of water every day’ might officially be the most abused line in health and beauty articles yet never becomes redundant. Excessive smoking, intake of alcohol and caffeine exacerbates the problem by draining the body of essential fluids.
Nutritional deficiencies: Although not the predominant cause, lack of adequate nutrients in the body can lead to darkening of the skin around the eye. Make sure that you consume foods rich in vitamins A, C, K and E. Anaemic women also fall prey to the persistent condition, in which case, green leafy vegetables, nuts, and pulses can come to the rescue.
Aging and hormonal changes: The human skin tends to get thinner with age. And what with the skin around the eyes being extremely delicate, age makes the presence of dark circles conspicuous. Hormonal imbalances occurring during menstruation and pregnancy can also play spoilsport.
Sun exposure: As you might have already known, increased exposure to Sun spells danger for the skin. Pigmentation of the skin can produce dark circles while an excess of melanin production can make the dark circles appear darker. If you often step out under the scorching sun, make sure to wear a sunscreen with adequate SPF before moisturizing.
Sleep deprivation: While sleep deprivation can compound the problem by making the skin paler, you might be surprised to find that it is not often the major cause of the bothersome development. There are a lot of other things that can contribute to the paling of the skin, fatigue resulting from stress and illness, to name a few.
Simple dark circles fixes
- Cucumber is the go-to vegetable when it comes to instant dark circle fixes. Place two ice cold slices for about 10 – 15 minutes and then wash the area with plain water. You can also mix cucumber juice with equal quantities of lemon juice and apply it on the affected area with cotton balls. Leave it on for about 15 minutes before washing it.
- Tomatoes are well-known for their skin lightening properties. Make a puree of tomato. Mix this with a teaspoon of lemon juice and add a pinch of turmeric powder. Blend this mixture with gram flour or orange lentil flour and apply it on the area around your eyes. Leave it on for about 15 minutes. Follow this religiously and you can witness the dark circles disappear completely over time.
- For those who cannot spare any time during the day, almond oil acts as a saviour. Apply the oil on the dark circles before you go to sleep and wash it off with cold water when you wake up.
- If the aforementioned remedies are a tad too messy for you, a frozen spoon can be used alternatively. Place the spoon in the refrigerator till it gets cold. Remove it and cover your eyes with the spoon. Hold it there until the spoon becomes warm again.