Friday, June 11, 2010

Dark circles - Causes And Remedy

Dark circles are mainly found around the eyes and they are also known as "bags under the eyes". These black rings make us look exhausted and ill. They are very obvious and annoying. They are difficult to cover up and even harder to get rid of. In short, they are the bane of many people's lives.

There are many contributing factors to the development of these dark circles and even more things that can make them worse. Some factors are unavoidable like age and ill health but many can be prevented and treated easily. Almost everyone gets dark circles under their eyes from time to time.

As we have mentioned, lack of sleep is one of the major causes, but this is not the only one. Certain bad habits can bring about these dreaded dark circles. For example, excessive drinking of alcohol and smoking can also make them appear under your eyes.

Unlike skin elsewhere, facial skin is relatively thin, especially underneath the eyes. Facial skin has an incredibly rich blood and nerve supply. Because of this, when we become dehydrated from not drinking enough water, this can make the skin under our eyes appear thinner. This would make skin pigments and blood vessels become more apparent, and thus, giving a darker appearance. Excessive alcohol consumption also leeches the body of water and this can have the same effect.

Treatment of dark circles under the eyes caused by thin skin is very difficult because it is very difficult to make your inherited skin thicker. Cover up make up like Jayne Iredale Eye Cover, Dermablend, and Covermark are very helpful and my first recommendation. Frequent microdermabrasion and Retin A cream over a long period of time will build new collagen in the dermis will thicken the skin and provide some improvement.

Another cause of undereye circles is eyelid swelling during sleep. When you lie down, gravity can cause fluid to collect in your lower eyelids. This swelling may create the appearance of shadows below your eyes. In addition, dark circles can result from chronic skin conditions, such as atopic eczema. Dark circles can also run in families. Over-the-counter products may help diminish dark circles under eyes. Look for skin creams that contain vitamin C or K, alpha hydroxy acid and kinetin.

Dark circles can also be caused by increased pigmentation. Dark circles tend to be more of a problem in races with darker skin. This is true for those who just tend to tan easily, and people who are of African and Indian descent.

They can also be hereditary since there are people who are more predisposed to getting them compared to others. Nutritionalimbalance is another reason; if your body doesn't get all the nutrients it requires for it to be able to repair its damage cells then dark circles might start appearing.

Aging can also cause dark circles because as we get older, the skin underneath our eyes thins even further thus making the veins more visible. There are a few more reasons why dark circles occur but the ones mentioned above are the most common. If you have them, don't fret, because there are plenty of natural dark circles treatments available for you to try.

The eyelid skin is the thinnest in the body and many people with dark circles under the eyes have extremely thin skin on their eyelids and around the eyes. This thin skin is an inherited trait. The dark circles under the eyes are caused by the fact that the purple color of the underlying eyelid muscle shows through the thin skin and creates a bluish or purple color. The color is darkest near the nose and on the lower eyelid near the nose.

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