Does Vitamin K Work for Undereye Circles?

Does Vitamin K Work for Undereye Circles?
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Dark circles under your eyes can look like bruises, but they are usually a combination of discoloration and swelling of your skin. Home remedies are the best way to combat this sign of aging, according to MayoClinc.com. Vitamin K is used to clot your blood and keep your bones healthy, but it is not a treatment for under-eye circles.

What Causes Under Eye Circles?

Many factors can lead to dark circles under your eyes: stress, allergies, eczema, genetics, nasal congestion, pigmentation irregularities, too much sun exposure and rubbing or scratching your eyes. An additional cause is a thinning of your skin as you age, which causes the blood vessels to become more prominent and visible. This is the only direct connection to vitamin K because it is used in the physiology of your blood.

What Can You Do?

Although these circles can be cosmetically unpleasing, they are not associated with a disease or medical condition; they are a natural result of living life. Certain home remedies may help, including using ice or a cold object to reduce the swelling, using sun glasses and sunscreen to minimize sun exposure, using saline solution to manage your nasal congestion, using make-up and cosmetics, and making sure you get plenty of sleep.

What If You Have Bruises?

A bruise under your eye is usually the result of trauma that has broken the capillaries beneath your skin. This will cause some minor bleeding, which can lead to a dark spot. In this case, your body will use vitamin K to make proteins that clot your blood. However, once the blood has been clotted, it may take several weeks for the blood to dissipate. Ice and cold will reduce swelling from bruising, and although vitamin K is used in the bruising process, it will not prevent or eliminate bruising.

Considerations

Although vitamin K does not help with under-eye circles, it is an essential vitamin that you need in your diet. To ensure that you get enough each day, consume foods such as fish, liver, meat, eggs, green leafy vegetables and dark berries. If you develop swelling and darkness under one eye only or if your condition worsens with home treatment, talk to your doctor to find the appropriate treatment.

References

Article reviewed by Debbie Sprong Last updated on: Jul 18, 2011

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