How can I treat the dark circles under my eyes?

There are few factors that create dark circle under the eye. One must address all or some of these problems to fix the dark circles.

• Darker skin color: There many genetic and environmental factors creating darker skin color (hyper pigmentation) under the eye. Most of this hyper pigmentation can be treated with skin bleach (hydroquinone). It would take few months for the cream to work. For quicker fix one can do laser or chemical skin resurfacing (peels).

• Hollowness under the eyes: With age or genetic predisposition, some people get hollowness under the eye that creates a dark shadow. Fillers such as fat, radiesse , or restylane can fix the crease.

• Fat under the eye: Sometimes fatty bulges under the eye create shadow under the bulge creating dark circle. Fillers or traditional eyelid surgery could help with this problem.

• Allergy: Patients who suffer from allergy could get venous congestion under the eye creating dark circle. Seeing an allergist is the first step.

"Dark circles" may be due to many causes including volume loss, tear trough indent, genetic skin hyperpigmentation, venous congestion and/or hemosiderin deposits. I would advise you see a physician for full evaluation prior to starting any recommendations noted.

Many patients of Mediterranean descent have dark circles under their eyes. There is nothing that can be done about this other than makeup.

Some patients have severe allergies which create puffiness, bags and shiners underneath the lower lid. Well managed allergy symptoms can improve the dark circles.

In addition, high salt intake in the diet can increase fat bags because of fluid retention in the bags in the lower lids. Makeup can reduce how dark the circles are; apply a yellow concealer to neutralize the dark color, then apply under-eye concealer.

I am by no means a doctor but a person that, along with my children, has experienced dark undereye circles periodically. The condition comes and goes with the seasons. Using cosmetics to disguise or cover it up works well but they return as soon as I wash off the makeup.

I have been told I look tired, and my children who are grown young adults have also had similar problems with this affliction. And I know that part of the problem can be related to skin thinning in this area for older men and women but when I saw the same thing happening to my daughter and son, both in their 20s, I felt there was more to the problem.

Upon seeing an allergist after the recommendation of my GP, I learned along with my children that dark circles were referred to as "black eye" or "shiner" effect due to strong airborne allergens. As we all become further exposed to the pollutions in our air and as we become even more overworked and under-rested, my allergist has told me he is seeing more and more of this in his practice.

Once our allergies were brought under control the black eye appearance disappeared and our normal skin pigment was restored. It was great to learn that something that is easily treatable was the alternative to my aging skin thinning. I was grateful for my children as well since they too look so much healthier and more rested since receiving treatment for seasonal allergies.

Most importantly, even though you have never had allergies before in your life, it does not mean you are not prone to them today. It is always worth checking into, despite a past history of allergy-free health. You may be surprised at what your doctor finds and isn't it worth checking into, as allergies also cause you to feel rundown, tired, create sleeplessness, or can create an agitated state?

Just another side of the coin in choosing another medical alternative.

Dark circles under the eyes can cause a person to look tired and older. As we age, the skin under our eyes loses volume and thins out. This can cause the appearance of dark circles.

Make up works well to conceal this, but I have found that using hyaluronic acid, such as Restylane or Juvederm, injected under the eyes works amazingly well to eliminate or significantly reduce the dark circles. This may sound painful, but I assure you, most patients tell me that they can't even feel it! Of course we use a topical anesthesia first, but there are not a lot of nerve endings in this area and with anesthetic ointment the pain is non-existent to very minimal.

We have found that Restylane is superior to Juvederm in this specific area, as Juvederm has more of a tendency to cause a bluish tint to the skin, known as the tyndal effect, while Restylane does not. However, both work very well for this correction.

In our practice, we often here the complaint, "My face is falling!" Oftentimes, patients will realize that the shape of their face is changing, but they're not quite sure what is happening or how to resolve it.

Losing volume to the space directly below the eyes (and above the orbital rim a.k.a.: cheek bone) is common for both men and women alike. The loss of this volume then accentuates any vascularity which may appear as dark circles under the eyes.

Apart from a genetic predisposition where there is no volume loss, this is one of the most common areas of concern for our female patients that are over forty. We like to address this with the use of Restylane. This is a product that fills the area to restore volume and draws water into the tissue to add a nice plumping effect. This technique is referred to as "tear trough" injections. This procedure causes very little discomfort, provides an immediate result, and also helps to diminish the "crepe"-like texture of the skin to this area.

Like all injectable treatments, make certain your practitioner is skilled in this particular technique.

Dark circles appear for more than one reason.

1. The skin of the eyelids is ofter darker than that of the rest of the face. As we age and our skin has less elasticity and sags, the difference between the eyelid skin and the upper cheek is more obvious.
2. As we age and the skin gets thin, the network of blood vessels within the skin becomes more visible, making the area look dark or purplish.
3. As the skin gets more thin, the "hollow" under the eyes appears or looks larger.

Therefore, I use a combination approach to treat the undereye area. Fillers, such as Restylane, plump up the skin and decrease the hollow appearance under the eye. Creams are used to firm the skin, increase collagen production, and lighten dark pigmentation.