How Can I Get Rid of Dark Circles Under My Eyes?

health wellness

Dark circles under the eyes are most often caused by allergies, illness, a lack of sleep, or heredity. Knowing the cause of your dark circles can help you understand how to get rid of them. For example, if allergies are the culprit, all you may need to see results is a more effective allergy medication. However, if you think your dark circles are the result of sleep deprivation, you may need to make an effort to go to bed earlier or reduce the amount of caffeine in your diet in order to get the rest you need.

If your dark circles are caused by heredity, you may find that they are almost impossible to completely eliminate. Fortunately, there are a few tricks you can use to reduce the puffiness and skin discoloration that make dark circles under the eyes more noticeable.

In the morning, wash your face with cold water to help blood vessels constrict. Then, apply an eye cream that contains Retinol and vitamin K. Since it may take several months of daily use to see maximum results from the cream, you might want to consider using a little Preparation H to reduce the appearance of your dark circles in the meantime.

If you’re looking for an all-natural way to get rid of dark circles under your eyes, try applying cucumber slices, damp caffeinated tea bags, or an ice cube wrapped in a soft washcloth to your eyes for 10-15 minutes each day. However, if these home remedies seem to make your condition worse, discontinue use and consult a dermatologist. You may be suffering from a more serious skin condition that is causing the dark circles under your eyes.

While eating a healthy diet will help boost your energy and ward off illness, it’s also a great way to reduce the appearance of dark circles under your eyes. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to prevent the vitamin deficiencies that can affect your skin’s appearance. Reducing your salt intake will also help improve the look of your skin, since too much salt can cause the body to retain water in undesirable places.

If you’re feeling very self-conscious about dark circles under your eyes, you can try to use makeup to help camouflage the problem. Typically, a yellow or flesh-toned concealer will be the most effective in reducing the appearance of skin discoloration. Look for a concealer that is one or two shades lighter than your foundation. For free samples and more advice on selecting the products that are right for your skin tone, visit the cosmetics counter of your local department store.

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14
i have darkness under my eyes and always have since i can remember! i can't get rid of them. i've tried the old home remedies but they won't work? i get lots of sleep and i eat healthy! any other tricks?
- anon52397
13
Anon49913, you can find stick concealer at almost any store that sells cosmetics. I think the Maybelline stick looks like the lipstick, but almost all the major lines have one. Avon does, too, I believe. The main thing is to get one that either matches or is slightly lighter than your skin color. The Pixi company also has a four-color palette called "Eye bright" that really works for my dark circles. Again, you want to match your skin tone as closely as possible.
- amypollick
12
I have really bad dark circles under my eyes. I have had them for as long as I can remember. I saw this girl using a concealer that looked just like lipstick, except for it was a tan, skin toned color. Any ideas where I can get one? I forgot to ask her when she had it and she moved away.
- anon49913
11
i am 17 and i have hereditary dark cirlces nd they won't go away. i've tried foundation and concealer that just makes them go grey. does anyone have a solution?
- anon48657
10
dark circles are rarely due to lack of sleep. this is just a common misconception. under eye bags are due to lack of sleep. one reason for having dark circles is leaking blood. This is normal and happens all around your body, however the skin under your eyes is the thinnest and therefore it becomes more noticeable. People (including me) with dark under eye circles usually have constant leaking of vessels which is why it shows even more on us. Think of a bruise. When you get hit hard by a solid object, it can leave a bruise. This is because the vessels have been traumatized and has caused the vessels to leak. You body undergoes what you may call a mopping up procedure which again is entirely normal. Its the same with you under eyes. Based on this the only real thing that can reduce it is make up, taking fish oil, taking vitamin c which can thicken skin and surgery (this is only for extreme cases and talk to you gp). Note: some remedies may work to some extent for some people, but for those who they do not work on. Follow this and hopefully you will see some improvement. Good luck.
- anon46446
9
I've had very dark purple circles under my eyes since I was eight. From age eight to ten I had trouble sleeping. now I'm thirteen and they are still there and still very dark. I sleep at least ten hours a night. I'm not sure why they are still there. I have a lot of stress in my life, if that could cause it. Can someone please help me!
- anon44246
8
I have had them really bad and dark looking nearly all my life until my tonsils were removed. I think mine are hereditary and I try to sleep at least 7 hours every night, on a bad/late bedtime day.
- anon40644
7
i started to get dark circles under my eyes at around 11 years old, i've still got them at the age of 13 and i really want to get rid of em cause they are driving me bonkers! i sleep well, probably 10 hours a night, excercise and tried beauty remedies that haven't started working yet. i'm scared that i might have them forever. Please help!
- anon40641
6
I have awful circles. I eat well and usually sleep well but they will not go away! My mom had them when she was a kid but got rid of them at about age 10 and I am older than that and they are still here! None of the remedies seem to work. Does anybody have a *working* solution?
- anon39486
5
I realise i've been eating a hell of a lot of salt in the past year or two so it's no wonder i've got dreadful skin - i never really realised that there could be a link between the two! im going to try to eat more fruit and veg (which i've been lacking in lately and i do realise an increase in my dark circles and bad skin) and i will see how i feel after 2 weeks and will get back to you. try it though - i want to be a nutritionist and i think it's crucial that you observe what you put in your body in order to get the results to crave. --

hannah t, glos.

- anon39170
4
Does anyone have some of their own ways to get rid of heredity dark circles?
- anon36270
3
I am a new visitor of this site. It is very interesting one. It is useful to newer generation also. Now the people interested in the beauty. They take lots of time in puts the cosmetics and dieting etc.

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sherin

WideCircles

- sherin
2
I have tried all of these remedies, in addition to random herb poultices and other remedies. Nothing has worked. I think that some of us just suffer from under eye circles and have to use makeup to hide them. It's a real bummer though - I would love for someone to come up with a remedy that works.
- dfrum32

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Written by Dana Hinders
Last Modified: 13 November 2009

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