Surefire ways to get rid of Dark Circles

You may be surprised to learn that fatigue usually isn't the cause of dark circles. Instead, the most common cause is nasal congestion. When your nose is congested, veins that usually drain from your eyes into your nose become widened (dilated) and darker.

Some other causes of Dark circles includes, lack of nutrients in the diet, or the lack of a balanced diet, can contribute to the discoloration of the area under the eyes. Any medications that cause blood vessels to dilate can cause circles under the eyes to darken. Any condition that causes the eyes to itch can contribute to darker circles due to rubbing or scratching the skin around them. Dark circles are likely to become more noticeable and permanent with age.

Remedies for Dark Circles

• Quit smoking. Smoking causes vascular (blood vessel) problems that can not only threaten your life, but also make your blood vessels appear more prominent and bluer beneath the skin.
• Cover the problem up with cosmetics. If all else fails, use a yellow or flesh-toned color which will camouflage the problem under your eyes
• Avoid rubbing your eyes. Usually rubbing of the eyes is brought on by allergies, but not always. Regardless of the reason, stop doing it. The rubbing irritates the skin and can break tiny capillaries beneath the skin, causing both puffiness and discoloration.
• Identify allergens. Allergies may be the most common cause of skin discoloration and puffiness under the eyes. If allergies are the root of your problem, you simply need to treat them or remove the allergen (i.e., the thing to which you are allergic).
• Apply cool tea bags, an ice cube wrapped in soft cloth, or cucumber slices to your eyes daily.
• Cucumber slices have long been used to reduce puffiness and refresh the appearance of skin around the eyes. Lie down, preferably in the morning, and leave fresh cucumber slices or cool, over your eyes for about 10-15 minutes.

Alternative treatment options for Dark Circles

• For a more lasting solution, incorporate an under-eye moisturizer into your daily beauty regiment.
• Bone structure. If you have deep-set eyes, shadowing contributes to the dark color under the eyes. Your best bet: camouflage. Look for concealers with yellow undertones, which counteract the bluish cast to under-eye circles.
• Genetic hyper-pigmentation is the most treatable form of dark circles. Your best bet: Try a lightening cream or talk to a dermatologist about chemical peels or laser resurfacing.
• Wear sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 30 under the eyes to prevent skin weakening caused by sun damage.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Apply plain cool teabags over closed eyes. Don’t use herbal teabags, because most aren't as effective.
• Apply cool cucumber slices over closed eyes for 15 minutes.
• The dietary supplements grape seed extract and pycnogenol contain antioxidant pigments that may help to strengthen blood vessels.