I’m of Scandinavian and Scottish descent and have extremely fair skin along with blue eyes and blonde, almost white hair. I’ve always had dark circles under my eyes, since I was a little girl. These circles under my eyes, or “bags” if you like (though they aren’t actual eyes) really make me self-conscious. What can I do?
Nope — the dark circles aren’t there because I’m tired. I get get eight hours sleep and then some, nearly every night. Don’t even mention that, please. I had a teacher tell my mom she should send me to bed earlier when I was nine or so and I still get people ask me whether I had a late night, all the time. (Constantly being asked whether I’m tired is a huge reason I’m beyond fed up with my circles.)
I’m also not anemic. I was checked for iron-deficiency anemia recently and my blood work came back great. Touch eclat covers my circles up quite well, but I’d rather get rid of them once and for all with natural means, so without putting makeup on such a sensitive area of my skin all the time.
One more thing — when you look at the skin under my eyes, you can see tiny little veins.
Help, please?
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* Use a UV screen all the time. If you're as light as I am, and it sounds like you are, you're more prone to sun damage than most folks, and especially in the sensitive and thin skin under your eyes.
* Did you know your makeup remover can contribute to under-eye circles? As you clean the skin under your eyes, it can become damaged by harsh cleansing products. Try using oils instead.
*Are you allergic by any chance? Whether it's seasonal allergies or makeup allergies, this can worsen those dark circles.
*Use a gentle under-eye moisturizer. And let it dry completely before you use foundation in that area (and everywhere else for that matter).
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I do use sunscreen — not all the time, but pretty regularly, as often as I remember to use it. I do use a moisturizer and I'm not allergic as far as I know. Like I said, these dark circles have been there since I was a little girl. They are there all year round, regardless of how much sleep I get. Because they were there before I started using makeup, I am pretty sure cleansers aren't to blame. I'll try with an oil based makeup remover though, just to see what happens.
Other tips still welcome.
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There are actually several possible causes of dark circles under the eyes. You mentioned having them all your life, so you'll want to find out what the cause is in order to eliminate them.
As you mentioned seeing blood vessels under the eyes, in your case it's entirely possible that your dark undereye circles are caused by what's known as hypervascularity. Hypervascularity means too many blood vessels under the skin's surface, and laser treatment can greatly help you improve your appearance where this is the cause of your dark circles. Look into it!
Hyperpigmentation and dermatochalasis are two other possible causes. Hyperpigentation would usually take a while to develop so you are probably not dealing with that, but anyway, there are creams to deal with that. Dermatochalasis is "bags under the eyes". Because they cast a shadow it can make you look like you're tired or have dark circles but you actually don't. You can treat this with fillers.
But, as I said, it seems like hypervascularity is your problem. Go see a dermatologist or a plastic surgeon for a consultation. Perhaps makeup can help you reduce the appearance of blood vessels, but it can never get rid of them completely. If you're really bothered by your undereye circles, laser treatment can help you boost your self confidence.
Good luck!
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That was a really good post, very helpful. Thanks. I Googled "hypervascularity under eyes" and came up with some info. It seems like this condition is called "intraorbital dark circles" and in my case, it may well be due to a combination of two things: the vessels, like you said, as well as a very light skin that allows those vessels to shine through if you like. Most of the information that first comes up actually talks about lightening the skin which is hyperpigmented. That sounds like a terrible idea in my case, since I seem to have the opposite problem to hyperpigmentation.
Anyway, it's now looking like fixing these dark circles under my eyes might cost quite a bit to get fixed. I don't have a huge budget but, to be honest, they are really affecting my self confidence. I'll mail a few dermatologists in my area and see if I can get a consultation.
Thanks!
(By the way, why can't I use bold text when I reply to a topic?)
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HTH!
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I did search the web to find out more about hemorrhoid cream for under-eye issues and it seems the smell is indeed the issue. I don't mind that, if it solves anything. That was something I would never have thought of myself in a million years, so thanks for the suggestion. I am strongly considering trying it out.
I am still seeing that dermatologist though.
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For others though, I did want to mention that it's not just a lack of sleep or a vitamin deficiency that can give you dark circles under your eyes, but also daily things you do wrong like sleeping in the wrong position, not cleansing your face before going to bed, an allergy to your mascara or other makeup, fluid retention, some medication you take... you name it. It's not just an aesthetic problem, in other words, it can indicate that you are just doing something wrong or suffering from something. That's why it's not a bad idea to make an appointment with your doctor about it, not necessarily a dermatologist but just your primary care doc.
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Can I vent here, please? I am supposed to see that dermatologist on Tuesday but now that it is coming closer and I have been doing more reading, I am thinking about canceling the appointment and just trying with one of the many products suggested here and on some other threads and forums I have been reading.
How likely is it that a dermatologist will talk me into expensive and invasive procedures I may not need at all? Just feeling jittery. I generally don't like going to doctors much unless I feel I really need to. I'd love to hear some opinions.
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