How to Prevent Dark Circles & Why Do They Pop Up?

If you’re at a younger age, you probably wouldn’t connect to this post as much as someone who has crossed his/her adolescence and is a mature adult. Those dark circles under the eyes are one of the most annoying things we encounter in our lives.

Before we talk about how to prevent dark circles, let’s take a shallow dive into what science has to say about it. Periorbital dark circles are nothing but thin layers of skin below our eyes showing blood vessels. The skin around our eyelids is called periorbital skin which is some 0.5 mm thick from the rest of the skin of our body.

Science Behind Why Dark Circles Pop up –

The dark blueish circles are usually the result of light being reflected back off the blood vessels sitting below the surface of that think patch of skin. As we age, our skin loses elasticity and ability to regenerate which makes it thinner.

Which is why dark circles are common to elderly people (regardless of how much they sleep). Genes also have a major role to play and so does sleep, but this happens naturally and it’s kind of inevitable.

Another thing that causes dark circles is called periorbital hyperpigmentation – a condition where more melanin is produced by the skin below the eyes. I’m not a racist, but this is common with people who have dark skin.

Oxidization of blood leaking from preorbital blood vessels or put it in a simple manner when blood vessels get damaged, blood leaks out and you’re left with puffy dark circles under your eyes. Don’t worry, it’s not at all harmless and it can be treated, but then again, if you think that improper sleep (only) is the cause of dark circles then you’re probably wrong.

There are quite a few other reasons for causing dark circles to appear like – medication that causes blood vessels to dilate, scratching and rubbing your eyes often especially during allergy seasons, regularly sleeping on your stomach. These reasons (not directly) but indirectly all contribute to gift you the dark circles.

Too Much of Science, Let’s Get Back to Normal. What Causes Dark Circles?

 Let’s break things into simple terms and figure out why it actually happens. But for now, I hope you have come to know that it’s kind of inevitable and at some point in time this is bound to happen. But if we keep doing the things mentioned below, we are just welcoming dark circles under our eyes by booking a cab on their behalf.

  • Improper sleeping habits.
  • Reduced levels of fatty tissues around the eyes.
  • Thinning of skin under the eyes.
  • Anaemia from iron deficiency.
  • Ageing.
  • Smoking.
  • Inherited genes. Overexposure to sunlight.
  • Dehydration.
  • Thyroid conditions.

How to Prevent Dark Circles from Homely Remedies –

While framing what causes dark circles, I was kind of scared. While it’s almost impossible to entirely prevent dark circles because of aging and bursting of inside tissues, there are some ways with which we can make sure that we try our best to prevent them from popping up.

Here are some quick home remedies that will help you to prevent dark circles.

Have More Sleep & Rather A Scheduled One –

prevent dark circles
Sleep, but sleep properly!

While some say sleeping is a bad habit it’s actually not. Sleeping is bliss only if you have a proper schedule and keep a check on your sleep time. For a healthy adult, 7 to 9 hours of sleep is more than enough. Moreover, raising the head up on extra pillows may help you to prevent dark circles and swelling around the eyes.

Elevate Your Head –

This is all about the posture of your sleep. Yes! Your posture of sleeping plays an important role in prevention as well as welcoming the dark circles. Elevate your head with a few pillows to prevent fluid from pooling under your eyes which can make them look puffy and swollen. But too many pillows can cause pain in your neck.

prevent dark circles
Elevate your head, but not too much!

Apply Cucumber –

Applying cucumber slices to the eyes is very much helpful and soothing. It also reduces swelling around your eyes. Cucumbers are high on water and vitamin C which helps in nourishing and moisturizing the skin.

prevent dark circles
Cooldown your eyes with H2O rich cucumbers.

Teabags –

Teabags help in compressing and lightening dark circles. Caffeine is also an antioxidant and stimulates blood circulation around the eyes.

prevent dark circles
Best antioxidants!

Boil 2 tea bags (one for each eye) in water and let them cool, then place one tea bag on your eyes. You can use any tea bags for the purpose. Black tea, green tea or even herbal tea.

Antioxidant Skincare Products and Makeup –

While natural things take time to work, for sudden changes you can apply some makeup which is especially inclined towards the prevention of dark circles. There are a number of vitamin E and C antioxidants that help you to prevent dark circles

Also, there is the under-the-eye concealer for cosmetic purposes. Check out these fabulous eye care products!

Go for Facials –

This is my favorite. A facial is the best gift you can give to your skin and face. The poor circulation around your eyes can cause dark circles to pop up. A gentle massage around the eye area can help to give you the desired blood circulation which overall helps to prevent dark circles from popping up.

prevent dark circles
Click here for a quick face massage session.

How to Prevent Dark Circles from Medical Treatments –

Science has developed so much that today it’s solving from the most complex problems to the most basic problems. Here are some medical treatments that will help you to prevent dark circles –

Creams –

Bleaching cream can help to reduce hyperpigmentation. Reach out for products that include hydroquinone, tretinoin or a combination of both. You have to wait as long as 3 months before you can observe the change.

prevent dark circles
Try Himalaya’s cream for curing dark circles. Order from Amazon!
Kojic Acid or Azelaic Acid –

Kojic acid is effective in curing dark circles. It’s a product that comes from 2 species of fungi. However, overutilization of kojic acid has its side effects like dermatitis and redding of skin.

Another acid that is helpful in this case is azelaic acid. One major difference between the two products is that, while the former is quite harmful for long term use, azelaic acid can be used for longer periods without any side effects.

Chemical Peels –

Chemical peels use alpha-hydroxy acids like glycolic acid which helps in lightening hyperpigmentation under the eyes. People may use chemical peels in combination with topical creams for better effect.

Laser Therapy –

If you feel that situation has gone out of your hands, you can definitely go for laser surgery. But trust me, prevention of dark circles is not a very tough job to do. While things may take time, to get instant results, laser therapy is there for you which definitely comes at a cost.

Summing Up:

If you happen to read it till here, I’m sure by now you’re well aware that prevention of dark circles is nearly impossible because it’s natural and its something inevitable. From aging to genes to improper sleep, every big-small thing adds to appearing of dark circles. However, with some simple home remedies, you can make sure that you delay the dark circles as much as possible.