How to Get Rid of Black Eye Circles

How to Get Rid of Black Eye Circles
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Black eye circles are a nuisance because they make you appear to be much older than you actually are. Black circles under your eyes form when the skin cells are damaged and the skin becomes thinner. This reduces the elasticity of your skin and makes your blood vessels more visible, giving the skin under your eyes a black tint.

You can get black eye circles from allergies, sleep deprivation, crying, but most likely they are hereditary. There are simple ways you can get rid of your black eye circles, including getting more sleep, changing your diet and cutting out bad habits.

Step 1

Eat the right foods. Veggies and fruits are full of vitamin C, which helps heal the damaged skin cells under your eyes. Vitamin C increases the rate at which your skin cells reproduce, which will help heal and lessen black circles. Eat a serving of fruits or veggies with every meal. Eat fruits like grapefruit, oranges and spinach.

Step 2

Hydrate your body. When your body is dehydrated, your skin doesn't get enough "moisturizer" from water, which makes your black eye circles much worse. Your body doesn't know when it will get water the next time, so it holds in the water that you currently have. This makes your eyes puffy and dark. MayoClinic.com recommends that you should drink at least 64 oz. of water or fluids every day.

Step 3

Get your rest. If your body is sleep deprived, your eyes become tired and your black eye circles darken. The National Sleep Foundation says you should sleep at least seven hours every night, but if you can't get that much, try taking a 15-minute nap at some point during the day.

Step 4

Use tea bags to get rid of black eye circles. Tea contains a great amount of Epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, which is an anti-inflammatory agent that can get rid of black circles under the eyes. Brew two tea bags, drain, let them cool and place one over each eye. Lie down and keep the tea bags on your eyes for about 10 minutes.

Step 5

Kick your smoking habit. Smoking sucks all the vitamin C from your skin, which damages your skin cells and causes black eye circles. Quitting smoking can drastically improve your black eye circles.

Step 6

Use an ice pack on your black eye circles. The frigid temperature will reduce swelling under your black eye circles and reduce their color. Place an ice pack, Ziploc bag of ice or even a frozen bag of veggies over your eyes while you lay down. Keep the over your eyes for at least 10 minutes. This method works very well, however, its effects are only temporary.

References

Article reviewed by Helen Holzer Last updated on: Aug 18, 2010

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