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Recently, in my Ask the Expert discussion in The SITS Girls Forum, a fellow SITStah asked:
Could you suggest how to get rid of dark under eye circles? I get enough sleep (around 8 hours per day at least) so I doubt whether lack of sleep is a problem.
Understanding how to get rid of dark under eye circles is one of my big problems too. There are some days when I am running around that like a crazy person and I will catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and wonder, ‘Huh, how did I get two black eyes?’
Now, don’t worry. I didn’t get socked in the eye by a flying toys nor did I run into a door with my face.
Nope, my dark circles are just because I haven’t gotten enough sleep, oh for the last seven years which is about the time my first child was born.
There are a lot of things that contribute to dark circles under the eyes, but there is really only one thing that causes it. And that is your genes. Yup, that is right, they are hereditary. So you can thank your mom and/or dad for those really dark circles and the puffiness.
Besides being hereditary, dark under eye circles are also thought to be caused by leaky capillaries under the eyes. It is normal for capillaries to be some what leaky. I am not talking like a leaking like a facet, but instead like one blood cell here and another there. When this happens, the body will brake down these cells and, by doing that, the red coloring turns bluish-black under the skin. This is also similar to what happens when you get a bruise but on a much, much smaller scale.
The skin around the eye is some of the thinnest skin on your body, so when blood leaks out of the capillaries from under the eye, the bluish-black color is more predominate and can be seen for a much longer time.
Now that being sad, there are things that can make dark circles and puffiness worse, such as lack of sleep and stress. Excessive caffeine and alcohol, or as a web site put it, ‘hard living’, can also worsen the effects.
I am sure that ‘hard living’ probably doesn’t include being a mom, but, in my humble opinion, I think being mom totally makes those dark circles worse.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for dark under eye circles or eye puffiness, however, there are things you can do to improve your appearance.
How to Get Rid of Dark Under Eye Circles
If you do an Internet search for remedies to get rid of dark under eye circles, the two things on the top of the list are get more sleep or consider eye fillers and laser treatments.
I don’t know about you, but I get as much sleep as I can considering there are 4 small children in my house and a nosy cat. Our family budget also has no room in it for cosmetic surgery procedures so thankfully there are some products out there that can help with this problem.
For myself, I really like using the Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller. After using it consistently as directed for about three days, I noticed a real decrease in my dark circles and the puffiness of my eyes.
Now for other tricks and tips and products that people liked, I turned to Twitter for help. I asked, “What products/tips can you give me about getting rid of dark under eye circles?” and then let the answers roll in.
Here is what a few people had to say:
- I’ve heard green tinted concealer works best!
- Burts Bees Royal Jelly Eye Cream. Rarely need concealer
- Wear dark sunglasses!
- You know the half-dried out foundation stuck to the top of the bottle? I use that. Better than any concealer I’ve tried.
- Eyedews. Check them out. Love them.
- You can use concealer under the eye, just dab in…..
- Bobbi Brown concealer!
- Cold cucumbers.
- Used cooled tea bags
Please note that I nor SITS were compensated to tell you about any of these products. I also can’t guarantee that all of these recommendations will work for absolutely everyone; what works for some people might not work for others. But most of us are in the same boat and just want to get rid of those dark circles so anything is worth a try!
So now, I will ask you the same question: What tips or products do you know of that help get rid of those dreaded dark under eye circles?
Let’s help our fellow SITStahs and make ourselves look more bright eyed!
More Ask the Expert Posts from Jen:
Interested in reading more health tips from me? Then check out what I have written for The SITS Girls previously. And don’t forget that if you have a question you’d like to ask me, just head over to my group in the discussion forum and leave your question!
- Depression and Mental Illness: Don’t Suffer in Silence
- Tips and Tricks to Treat Eczema at Home
- New Car Seat Guidelines
- Caffeine Intake: How Much Is Too Much?
- Why Am I Tired?
- Cold vs. Flu: Telling The Difference - Oct 13, 2011
- Child Fever: What You Need to Know & How To Treat - Oct 7, 2011
- Get Rid of Dark Under Eye Circles Today! - Sep 6, 2011
- Sunburn and Sunscreen: A How To Guide - Jul 22, 2011
- Summer Safety: Avoid Heat Exhaustion & Heat Stroke - Jun 21, 2011
- Depression & Mental Illness: Don’t Suffer in Silence - May 25, 2011
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I am just 16 years old and was realy upset because of dark circles can i use Garneir? Please help
Thanks for the tips! I have horrible dark circles sometimes, due to lack of sleep. I’ve found that the green concealer works really well, and for puffiness, I’ve used spoons put in the freezer. I’ve heard that gently tapping on your under eyes with your fingertips can help reduce puffiness too – is this true?
Dark circles, yes! And like you say, all my research has indicated to me that they are hereditary. Shucks!
I have tried probably at least a half-dozen products that claim to help with dark circles with no luck yet. I do not like concealer, I think it makes it look worse. I won’t say what kind of concealer I tried but it was a huge brand name. Was not impressed.
There is another company I am going to try for an eye treatment product. I actually got into a conversation with a young woman at the hair stylist and it turns out she sells for this company and said this product works great on dark circles. It’s on the order of the Garnier product recommended above. Here’s hoping!
I used to be thankful dark under eye circles was one thing I didn’t have to deal with, but now I have them, along with bags under my eyes, crow’s feet, sun spots, etc.:( I haven’t tried anything to try to hide them or get rid of them yet since I just noticed them. All I can say is UGHH!
Thankfully I didn’t get that gene passed down from my family….I got other stuff, ha!
I use that same garnier stuff you recommended, and I do like it, but nothing beats photoshop for undereye circles. : )
Lol, I know mine are hereditary, I can just look at my young adult daughters and see them! I actually have a family picture from 1910, and everyone in the family has dark circles. I use a product from Avon called the Illuminating Eye System. There is an eye cream, but there is also a gel that reflects light and actually reduces the look of the dark circles. Love it!
Ohhhh I hate the circles!!! I am plagued with them so much that they occupy my mind a lot!
Heyy have you seen those “A picture everyday” videos on youtube? Watch the undereye circle darkness fluctuate! It’s definitely a combination of sleep, heredity and diet/fluid intake.
All I can do is try with mine. Their not really dark, they are more purple than anything. They run on one side of my family, and I just happened to get them. I’ve been trying using a frozen cloth. It’s still flexible and won’t hurt the vessels under your eyes. Using ice will bust those vessels under your eyes. Ouch!
I’ve dark under eye circles since my 16!!!Now I’m older and the problem persists, maybe this new Garnier product can help me. Thank you very much! 😉
Hmmm, good question. I just use whatever generic coverup stick I have in the drawer, but I think I’m going to try the Burt’s Bee’s solution because I am the queen of late nights and have allergies as well, so I do get the saggy under eye circles. I just try to rejoice in the fact that at 50, I have hardly any wrinkles. One of the few benefits of being FAT, I think. But I have a sister who is 63 so I can see exactly what is in my future. No crows feet, but lots of under eye wrinkling, so I’d better start now if I don’t wanna go there!
Yup. Puffy eyes. I’ve tried everything, but the funny thing is that most anti-aging products make my eyes puff worse! So, staying away from the fancy products has made my eyes have the least puffy they’ve been in years. 🙁 Which is not as fun but I spend less money!
Also – sunscreen products make my eyes puffy. I only have 3 products I can use that don’t make me look like I was on a drinking binge the night before: bobby brown spf 15 moisturizer, Bare minerals makeup (natural spf 15) and Dr. Jart beauty balm SPF 40.
I think dark circles are hereditary because I had them even before kids. I typically use concealer. I am a huge fan or Garnier products, so I might have to try this out.
I’ve wondered about that Garnier stuff. Maybe I’ll give it a try.
I’d be fighting heredity in a big way though.
My sisters and I inherited the lovely gift of puffiness from our dear Mama.
I SO needed this post! I constantly have dark circles under my eyes regardless of the amount of sleep I get. Cucumbers don’t work, but they do feel good. I’ve tried concealer, but maybe I need to try another kind. Ugh…motherhood is tough, yo!
I think black circle reducers should be included in your hospital discharge papers after having a baby!
Thanks for the tips!
Thanks for the tips!
Thanks for the tips! I have had bad circles under my eyes since I was younger and I get a good amount of sleep, so I do believe mine are hereditary!
I’ve had dark circles under my eyes FOREVER! Like since I was a teenager. I just use concealer and hope for the best. I’ve never tried anything that worked long term, but that could because I’m lazy and after a while I stop using it the way you are supposed to.
I just have aging circles. Maybe this will help.