Dark circles under the lower eyes are common in men and women. Dark circles may also make you look older than you are, surrounded by bags. They can be hard to get rid of.
Although exhaustion may seem to be the most plausible cause for this problem, a number of factors may lead to dark circles under the eyes.
In an exclusive interview with HealthWire, Dr D.M. Mahajan, Senior Consultant Dermatologist, Apollo Hospital, Delhi, has explained the problem, and how you can prevent or treat them.
What causes dark circles?
- Fatigue– Oversleeping, intense exhaustion, or just staying up a few hours after your usual bedtime can lead to the development of dark circles under your eyes. Deprivation of sleep can make your skin pale and dull, so that dark tissues and blood sores can surface under your skin.
- Eyestrain- Stopping on your TV or computer will make your eyes really close. It will make your eyes expand by blood vessels. This will darken the skin around your eyes.
- Allergic Reactions– Eye-dryness and allergic reactions may cause dark circles. Your body releases histamine as a response to harmful bacteria when you have an allergic reaction. Allergies can also increase the desire to rub your itchy skin around your eyes and scratch it. These acts will intensify your symptoms and cause inflammation, swelling and broken vessels of your blood. This will give your eyes dark shadows.
- Genetics- In developing dark circles under your eyes, family history also plays a role. It may be an inherited feature seen early in childhood and can worsen or eventually disappear as you age. Predispositions to other medical conditions can also result in dark circles under the eyes, such as thyroid disease.
What vitamin deficiency can cause dark circles?
- Iron-Iron deficiency means that there is not enough oxygen in the cells, which gives the eye region a dark look. Individuals who are anaemic often lack iron in their body and their skin appears dull and ashy under the eyes. With green vegetables, spinach, lentils, beans, nuts, grains, dried fruit, etc., you can get iron naturally.
- Vitamin K is specifically intended for the prevention of dark circles. Then capillaries tend to crack around the eye region when your body lacks vitamin K, which can darken your eye area further. Naturally, green leafy vegetables, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, fish, meat, and eggs can get vitamin K.
- Vitamin E – Vitamin E keeps your skin looking radiant and fresh. In the absence of vitamin E, your skin will appear quite dull and also show signs of ageing. Plus, Vitamin E also treats puffiness and thus vitamin E goes a long way in dealing with dark circles.
Home treatments
Depending on the underlying cause, treatment for dark eye circles. There are some home remedies, however, which may help treat this disease. Some of the approaches that are more frequent include:
- Take a good sleep– It may also help reduce the presence of dark circles by catching up on sleep. Deprivation of sleep will make your skin look pale, making the dark circles more visible. To prevent dark circles from forming, give yourself seven to eight hours of rest.
- Take a good diet- There are a number of key nutrients in Cucumber, Mulberry, Blueberries that avoid and lighten dark circles. Watermelon, in addition to supplying hydration, is also rich in antioxidants, helping to reduce the fine lines and wrinkles around the eye region.
- Reduce your screen time– Staring on your television or computer screen will cause your eyes to experience severe strain. This strain can cause swollen blood vessels around your eyes. As a consequence, it can darken the skin around your eyes.
Dark circles under the eyes may have several different causes and can be a symptom of a health condition such as anaemia in some cases. If enough sleep or at-home treatments don’t make your dark circles better, speak to your doctor to help identify the root cause.
