The "Tired Look"
Dark circles under the eyes, while often not an indication of serious medical problems, can convey the appearance of fatigue or ill health. Many people go to a great deal of trouble either to conceal them with makeup or to seek cures through mainstream medicine or alternative remedies. Dark circles under the eyes can be caused by a number of factors including heredity, eczema, nasal congestion, lack of sleep, smoking, consumption of alcohol or caffeine, melanin produced by exposure to the sun, and thinning skin due to aging, according to the Mayo Clinic. However, one of the most common causes of dark eye circles is allergies, both airborne and food-related.
Allergens Causing Dark Eye Circles
According to the chief of plastic surgery at the Yale University School of Medicine, certain allergens that travel in the air and are inhaled can cause blood pooling in the skin under the eyes. Airborne allergens include indoor dust mites, mold spores, and pollen from grasses, deciduous trees and weeds. Particularly potent allergic weeds include ragweed, tumbleweed, lamb's quarters, redroot pigweed and sagebrush. Food allergies can contribute to the problem as well, in particular allergies to dairy products, wheat, yeast and soy products. It may be necessary to experiment with eliminating one of these at a time from one's diet and noting whether dark eye circles clear up when a particular type of food is stopped. Other allergies that create bothersome general reactions could also be at fault, for instance picking up the cat and rubbing it against one's face.
Solutions
For dark circles caused by airborne allergens, a physician may prescribe antihistamine pills to clear up the problem. Some home cures can be tried, including applying cold under the eyes with either a cold compress or the convex sides of two teaspoons that have been kept in the freezer. As for lifestyle changes, it may be helpful to sleep with an extra pillow to elevate the head and prevent fluid accumulation beneath the eyes, or simply to try getting more sleep to improve skin coloration. Tanning or sun exposure of the face should be avoided since it typically accentuates the effects of eye circles. A sinus rinse of saline may reduce nasal congestion that creates puffy under-eyes. A diet rich in vitamins and minerals may be helpful in reducing dark circles, as can topical products that include vitamin A and vitamin K. On the cosmetic side, it is best to avoid topical products containing salicylic or glycolic acid since these can cause irritation just where one is trying to clear up discoloration. If using a concealer, some experimentation may be needed to find the right color to use (often a too-bright concealer will not help the problem, while a color closer to one's skin tone may bring better results). As a more radical solution, laser therapy or other surgical solutions may be discussed with a dermatologist.
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