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Dark circle under your eyes – what do they indicate

Dark circle under your eyes – what do they indicate
To remove dark circles under the eyes you should use coconut oil. © Shutterstock

While these are the unavoidable factors that can lead to dark circles but they could also be indicative of other health problems.

Written by Debjani Arora |Published : October 3, 2018 6:43 PM IST

When dark circles start to appear under the eyes most of us start to blame age, sleep and genetics. While these are the unavoidable factors that can lead to dark circles but they could also be indicative of other health problems. Here are a few probable causes of dark circle and what they indicate:

Sleep deprivation: Lack of sleep can make the skin look paler and under-eye blood vessels to dilate, resulting in puffiness. If you are an insomniac or suffer from fragmented sleep dark circles could become your permanent feature.

Allergies: Puffiness around the eyes is one of the most common reactions to allergies, but the nasal congestion that comes with being exposed to pollen, dust or other allergens can also cause the veins around your eyes and nose to dilate and darken. Eczema may also make the puffiness and discoloration worse. And underlying food allergies or food sensitivities can contribute to dark circles as well.

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Iron deficiency: Dark circles under-eyes are a common feature or side-effect of anaemia. When your blood has a lower amount of red blood cells than normal it is natural for the area to look puffy and dark.

Fluid retention: Excess salt in your diet or other conditions that cause fluid retention, like diseases affecting the heart, liver, kidney or thyroid can dilate the blood vessels under the skin around your eyes, resulting in the appearance of dark circles and puffiness.

Smoking: Lighting up causes you to lose collagen at a faster rate than you would naturally, which thins the already-delicate skin under your eyes, making blood vessels more visible.

What you can do:

  • Make sure that you take enough beauty sleep of seven hours.
  • Add vitamin B6 and B12, calcium and folic acid to your diet.
  • Always stay hydrated even if you are super busy. Keep your fluid level high; drink water throughout the day. Staying hydrated will help prevent dark circles and puffy eyes.
  • Avoid smoking or drinking.
  • Gently applied black or green tea bag or cold compress can reduce blood vessel dilation; do not rub the area around the eyes it will only make the condition worse.
  • Always apply sunscreen before stepping out in the sun but if you're out in the sun especially during the peak hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., re-apply every two hours. Cover up your exposed parts, wear your shades and hat too.
  • Always moisturize the eye area well with hydrating under eye cream. You can also apply under eye mask but consult with a dermatologist before using such things.
  • There are medical procedures available which are very useful, choose a non-surgical treatment that is safe and economical to treat under eye dark circles. Special creams and ointments are alternatives. They are generally needed in milder cases. There are also highly specialized medicated creams to address these problems use them after consulting a dermatologist.
  • Talk to your doctor to figure out if there is any underlying condition that can lead to dark circles.