Table of Contents

• Why Dark Circles under Eyes?

• 7 Different Causes of Dark Circles

• How to get rid of Dark Circles Naturally?

• Tips to Reduce Dark Circles

• 4 Best Medical Treatments to get rid of Dark Circles

• Take-home points

• FAQ on how to get rid of dark circles naturally

Introduction

Someone rightly said that “Eyes are the windows of the soul” - as they play an important role in improving your overall personality. So, any simple flaw in the eyes can affect your self-esteem and self-confidence. Due to the poor lifestyle and food habits, many people are suffering from dark circles. If you are looking for remedies and tips for decreasing your dark circles, you are in the right place!

Why Dark Circles under Eyes?

The skin under your eyes is four times more delicate than in the rest of your body. If the blood vessels under your eyes get damaged (or if the blood leaks out), they become easily visible due to the transparency of the skin. In this article, you will get to know about the causes of pigmentation around the eyes and the 6 best home remedies to get rid of dark circles permanently.

7 Different Causes of Dark Circles

Knowing the reasons for your dark circles, and then consulting a dermatologist, will be more helpful in getting rid of them. Some of the causes are,

1. Age can cause dark circles

Ageing is one of the most common causes of dark circles as ageing is often combined with the loss of suppleness and elasticity of the skin. This makes the dark blood vessels prominent, thereby causing the skin around your eyes to look darker.

2. Tiredness can cause dark circles

Staying up for a long time at night and not getting the required sleep makes the skin pale and dull, resulting in the appearance of blood vessels and dark tissues under your eyes along with fluid accumulation.

3. Allergies can cause dark circles

In case of allergies, your body releases a chemical messenger called histamine to combat pathogenic bacteria. It causes symptoms like redness, itchiness, puffy eyes, and dilates the blood vessels, thereby making them more prominent under the skin of your eyes.

4. Dehydration can cause dark circles

When your body does not receive sufficient water, the skin around the eyes begins to look hollow and dull.

5. Overexposure to the sun can cause dark circles

Overexposure to the sun can cause darker pigments on the skin surrounding the eyes due to the excessive production of melanin – a pigment responsible for providing dark colour to the skin.

6. Straining of the eyes can cause dark circles

Eye strains sustained by spending too much time in front of electronic devices can cause enlargement of the blood vessels which also can result in dark circles around the eyes.

7. Genetic Predisposition can cause dark circles

If your family members have dark circles, you can probably get it as they are inheritable traits. Inheritance of various other medical conditions like thyroid disease can also cause dark circles around the eyes. 

How to get rid of Dark Circles Naturally?

You can get rid of dark circles in natural ways with 6 effective home remedies, that too permanently!

Cold Compression

Cold compresses are highly useful in getting rid of dark circles naturally as it helps in shrinking the dilated blood vessels, thereby reducing puffiness and darkening around the eyes.

Method: Wrap a few pieces of ice cubes in a clean handkerchief and dab it on your eyes. You can also dip a piece of clean cloth in cold water and apply it to the skin around the eyes. Repeat the process until the ice melts or the cloth becomes warm. 

Teabags

High levels of antioxidants can help us in getting rid of dark circles naturally by stimulating blood vessels, reducing liquid retention, and shrinking the blood vessels.

Method: Soak two caffeinated tea bags (black tea/green tea) in hot water for a few minutes. Chill the bag in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. When cold, place the tea bags on each eye for around 20-30 minutes. Rinse your eyes with fresh and cold water after that.

Cucumber slices

Cucumber slices help you to get rid of dark circles permanently as they soothe the skin and reduce the swelling around the eyes.

Method: Refrigerate a few thick cucumber slices and then place them on your eyes for ten minutes. Rinse it off with cold water. Repeat it twice a day.

Vitamin E and Almond oil

The combination of vitamin E and almond oil gives you an amalgam of various antioxidants that helps you in getting rid of dark circles permanently.

Method: Gently massage an equal amount of vitamin E and almond oil around the eyes just before going to sleep. Wash it with cold water after getting up in the morning. Repeat this process every night until the dark circles are gone.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is the best solution if you want to get rid of dark circles naturally as they not only lighten the skin but also induce natural collagen production.

Method: Take two teaspoons of orange/lemon peel powder and mix two teaspoons of rose water into it to make a paste. Apply the paste on the dark circles beneath the eye and gently scrub with the help of fingers. Leave it as it is for thirty minutes, and then wash it off with lukewarm water.

Vitamin K

Skin benefits of vitamin K are abundant due to the presence of anti-inflammatory properties that can heal cells, thereby helping us to get rid of dark circles naturally.

Method: Applying vitamin K-rich juices of pomegranate and tomatoes helps in getting rid of dark circles naturally. You can also add vitamin K-rich food sources such as cauliflower, turnips, tomatoes, pomegranate, etc., to your diet for added benefits.

Tips to Reduce Dark Circles

Besides the natural remedies, you need to make some lifestyle changes to prevent dark circles. Here are the 5 powerful tips to avoid dark circles under the eyes,

• Get at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per day.

• Reduce the intake of caffeinated drinks, alcohol, sweets, and oily foods.

• Increase the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables especially those which has lots of moisture content like watermelon, cucumber, etc.,

• Try to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water per day.

• Sleep with your pillow to facilitate the blood flow, thereby reducing swelling and darkening of the skin around the eyes.

4 Best Medical Treatments to get rid of Dark Circles

Dark circles are not a serious medical condition. But if the dark circles occur in just one eye combined with other symptoms like swelling and discoloration, you need to visit your dermatologist immediately. Having said that, you can also consider dermatological treatments for curing dark circles. If you prefer medical care, you can get the following powerful treatments to get rid of your dark circles,

(The recommended medical treatments should be only considered after consulting with your dermatologist)

1. Laser Treatment

Laser treatments are effective to get rid of dark circles permanently as they evaporate the damaged cells. Lasers not only lighten the skin but also trigger the formation of collagen.

2. Light Chemical Peel

Dark pigmentation of the skin under the eyes can be cured by light chemical peel suggested by dermatologists. Jessner peel is also a similar treatment for this which includes a combination of lactic acid, salicylic acid, and resorcinol.

3. Dermal Fillers

Here, acid-based fillers like Juvederm or Restylane are injected into the under-eye tissue which helps in uplifting the sunken tissue and in lightening the skin around the eyes. This treatment is also equally effective as laser and chemical peels for getting rid of dark circles.

4. Blepharoplasty

It is a surgical treatment used for correcting the defects, disfigurations, deformities of the eyelids, and aesthetical modifications of the eye. This procedure can decrease the shadow cast by the eyelid and thereby helps in getting rid of dark circles.

Take-home points

• Dark circles under the eyes are caused by various reasons like age, tiredness, allergies, dehydration, sun exposure, and eye strains.

• Some of the best home treatments to remove dark circles under your eyes include the application of cold compression, tea bags, cucumber slices, almond oil, vitamin C, and vitamin E.

• You can also reduce dark circles with medical care like laser treatments, light chemical peel, dermal fillers, and blepharoplasty.

References

• PubMed

• Dermatologic Surgery

• Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology