How to Remove Dark Undereye Circles

How to Remove Dark Undereye Circles
Photo Credit eyes image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com

Dark circles can form under your eyes due to several factors such as lack of sleep, allergies, excess melanin production and illness. This discoloration may make you self conscious and lead you to search extensively for a remedy. There are treatment options available, however it is important to have a thorough examination by your physician to rule out any medical causes of your dark under-eye circles.

Step 1

Sleep with an extra pillow propping your head, neck and shoulders at night. According to the Mayo Clinic, this prevents fluid pooling to your face and under your eyes, eliminating dark circles that can result from fluid build up. In addition to extra pillows, ensure that you get adequate sleep. Eight or more hours will help fight exhaustion- and sleep-deprivation-induced circles.

Step 2

Apply a cold compress to your eyes to restrict blood vessels and ease puffiness and discoloration. The Mayo Clinic recommends using cool compresses or cooled tea bags for optimal results.

Step 3

Apply sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher to the skin underneath your eyes to eliminate damage caused by excessive sun exposure and speed up the healing process. According to the Mayo Clinic, sun exposure worsens dark eye circles by damaging the outer layers of skin.

Step 4

Clear your sinuses daily with a saline nasal spray. Salines sprays are useful for treating allergy-related symptoms such as dark under-eye circles. Saline sprays are also effective in clearing sinus congestion that can cause tear ducts to overproduce, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Step 5

Apply a small amount of skin brightening cream to your skin to break down excess skin pigmentation, also known as melanin. According to Daily Glow, a recent study showed that a cream containing licorice extract and hyaluronic acid reduced dark circles after six weeks.

Step 6

Massage a retinol-based gel into the affected skin. According to Daily Glow, retinol gel helps thicken thin under-eye skin and eliminates dark circles within four weeks of use. Thin skin allows darkened areas to show from underneath the top layers, making eyes appear darker.

Things You'll Need

  • Pillow
  • Cold compress
  • Sunscreen
  • Saline nasal spray
  • Skin brightening cream
  • Retinol-based gel

References

Article reviewed by Lisa Dittrich Last updated on: Aug 24, 2010

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