Dark Circles

• Causes of Under-Eye Bags

• Lifestyle Changes to Prevent Dark Circles

• Home remedies for dark circles

• Take Away

Dark Circles (under eye bags), are common dermatological conditions where you notice mild swelling or puffiness on your lower eyelid. 

It is typically a cosmetic issue and not a sign of medical concern. However, to some people who have dark circles, it can be a notable cause of social anxiety, as it makes you look tired and prematurely old.

Here, know more about the condition, understand what causes it, how to remove dark circles, and also look at some changes we can adopt in our lifestyle to prevent dark circles.

Causes of Under-Eye Bags

Under-eye bags, or periorbital hyperpigmentation, can appear as hyperpigmentation on your lower eyelid. This is because the eyelid is the thinnest part of the body, and has the lowest dermal to the epidermal ratio of all skin parts. This allows the fats to accumulate here over a certain time, thus causing puffy under-eye bags.

Most people link dark circles with a lack of sleep. Although true, this isn’t the only triggering factor of the condition. Dark circles can also occur due to less consumption of water, poor diet, or allergies.

Dark circles can also be genetic. It is something which you can inherit from your parents.

Lifestyle Changes to Prevent Dark Circles

Water Consumption

Staying hydrated keeps you active. Water helps to get rid of waste from your diet as well as flush out toxins from your body, thus helping restore skin moisture. It is recommended to drink at least 3-4 litres of water every day.

Consume Vitamin C rich food

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can bring back the youthful glow of ageing skin. Adding vitamin C rich foods like papaya, oranges, broccoli, tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, etc. can help in improving skin health. 

Avoid Sodium

Salty food contains a lot of sodium. Sodium is known to contribute to fluid retention, which causes under-eye bags. So cutting down on salt can help in reducing puffiness under the eyes.

Avoid Alcohol and Smoking

Alcohol is a fluid that dehydrates the body. This results in the skin losing its moisture, the effect of which is negatively felt on the lower eyelid. Smoking reduces vitamin C from the body, which is responsible for producing collagen in your skin.

Have Retinol rich food

Your lower eyelid is the thinnest part of your body, and it needs to stay that way to avoid under-eye bags. To avoid this, try having Vitamin A or Retinol rich foods like organic pastured eggs, butter, and pasture-raised chicken giblets.

Have Iron Rich Food

Iron deficiency in the body may cause depletion of red blood cells in the body which are very essential to transport oxygen to all the tissues in the body. Without them, there isn’t enough oxygen flow in the body, which can result in dark circles.

Have iron-rich food like beef, seafood, beans, leafy green vegetables, and dried fruits to increase iron levels in your body.

Get Sleep

Lack of Sleep is a very common cause of dark circles. Our body gets needs to get at least 8 hours of sleep every day. 

Make sure to sleep on your back while sleeping as napping on one side will put a lot of pressure on your blood vessels, thus causing dark circles.

Wear Sunscreen

The UV rays of the sun can severely change the natural colour of your skin. Prolonged exposure to the sun can cause premature ageing, skin discolouration, and skin cancer. Choose a sunscreen that has at least 30 SPF and higher.

Home remedies for dark circles

Try out some of these effective ways to get rid of dark circles at home:

1. Applying a cold compress for 10 minutes twice a day may help reduce dark circles.
2. Cucumber has mild astringent and skin-lightening properties. Take a few slices, refrigerate them for 30 minutes and then place them over your eyes daily for better results. 
3. Use cold tea bags! Soak tea bags in water, refrigerate and leave it on your skin for 10 minutes twice a day. Green tea is an antioxidant that has anti-inflammatory properties which help in relaxing the strained capillaries areas under the eye.
4. Aloe vera is a good moisturizer and has anti-inflammatory properties. Clean the under-eye area with moist cotton and massage with aloe vera pulp under the eyes for 10 minutes. 
5. Rosewater and whole milk are best if you have sensitive skin. Take two tsp of rosewater and 1 tsp of whole milk and mix both well. Soak cotton pads in the mixture and cover your eye area with them for around 20 minutes. Wash with normal water.
6. Potato has natural bleaching properties that can help lighten your skin under your eyes and prevent puffiness around it, potatoes might be quite helpful. Take chilled potatoes and grate them. Take the juice in a bowl and soak cotton pads in it for a minute. Place them on your eyes for around 20 minutes and wash them off with normal water.
7. Argan oil contains vitamin E and tocopherols that replenish moisture in skin cells and reduce wrinkles by repairing the skin’s hydro-lipid layer. Massage a few drops of oil gently under the eyes for a few minutes before going to bed. Leave it the whole night and wash in the morning.
8. Tomatoes are natural bleaching agents and contain antioxidants that reduce discolouration around the eyes. Take tomato juice and mix ½ tsp of lemon juice and 2 tsp of gram flour and make a paste of it. Apply it under the eyes and leave for 15-20 minutes. Rinse off with cold water.

Take Away

Under-eye bags are a sign of ageing, and in such a scenario, there is not much you can do about it. However, some lifestyle alterations do work in making your skin look tired and old. If the above lifestyle changes are adopted religiously, will help you not only get rid of dark circles but also maintain the youthful glow of your skin even in your elderly age.