Dark Circles Treatment & Home Remedies

Treatment options | Procedure for dark circles | Topical creams | Home remedies 

Dark circles may not be a medical concern, still men and women both consider dark circles as major beauty concerns. Normal aging can affect the most delicate under-eye areas first and cause the dark circles. But presently people in their late thirties and sometimes even younger are besieged by dark circles.

Treatment options

Seeking a dermatologist consult for treating underlying medical causes if any can help you long term. With proper diagnosis and treatment of causes like allergies, eczema, hay-fever and sinus/nasal congestion, the edema and resultant dark circles under the eyes can be reduced. Medications, topical creams and procedures all can help in eliminating dark circles.

Procedures for dark circles

One or a combination of following procedures can help in smoothing the hollows with fillers or eradicating the melanin pigments.

• Chemical peels
• Microdermabrasion followed by brightening lotions or hyaluronic acid.
• Intense pulse light treatment
• Lasers for treating the dermal melanocytes like Q switched ND Yag laser.
• Injecting dermal fillers for a more youthful look.
• Mesodermal injections.
• Mesobotox injections.

Topical creams

A variety of topical prescription-strength creams and over-the-counter creams can help in reducing the dark color gradually.

• Mild exfoliating creams with alpha-hydroxy acid.
• Moisturizers containing hyaluronate for fighting dehydration.
• Sunscreen creams with high SPF.
• Creams with antioxidant vitamins line vitamin A, B-complex, C, and K with beta carotene.
• Skin lightening/bleaching creams with hydroquinone or kojic acid.
• Creams with botanical extract(plant derived)safe and meant for sensitive areas like under eyes.

Home Remedies

• Sleep
  • Get adequate sleep – too less or too much sleep – both can cause dark circles.
  • Check how you sleep. Sleeping on your back with you head slightly elevated with extra pillows helps in preventing under-eye fluid accumulation.
  • Remove make-up, especially eye makeup, before you sleep with a mild alcohol free cleanser or preferable with thermal spring water.
• Use Sunscreen regularly and sufficiently; avoid going out in intense heat of midday sun.
• Use cold objects on your eyes to reduce dilated/discolored capillaries
  • Place cold compresses like cold teabags.
  • Place cucumber slices.
  • Use cooling aloe-vera gel.
• Do not rub your eyes excessively ,as the skin below the eye is delicate and underlying a bone so can cause  skin thickening and darkening.
• Always protect eyes with big-size dark glasses with assured UV-ray protection.
• Camouflaging with cosmetics – use concealers to cover up and reduce dark circles. As they are thicker than normal foundation, they are more effective in concealing dark circles especially when expertly applied.
• Avoid smoking and reduce alcohol and caffeine intake.
• Keep your skin hydrated and supple by drinking eight-ten glasses of water.
• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables; an anti-oxidant rich diet.
• Use moisturizers regularly with vitamin E oil to keep skin supple.
• Manage physical or mental stress issues with proper counseling.

Prognosis

A combination of topical creams and/or procedures, and home-care tips can work best in smoothing the dark hollows and eliminating them.

• References

• • Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leperology – Salicylic acid peels (Vedamurthy M) view
  • Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leperology – Facial melanoses: Indian perspective (Neena Khanna, Seemab Rasool) view
  • Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leperology – Periorbital melanosis is an extension of pigmentary demarcation line-F on face (Subrata Malakar, Koushik Lahiri, Uttam Banerjee, S Mondal, S Sarangi) view
  • Mayo Clinic – Dark Circles: When to see a Doctor view
  • WebMD – Under Eye Circles Treatment view