Dark circles under eyes

Dark circles under eyes

Apr 23, 2008
New Straits Times, ANN

Q. I'm 28 years old and I have had dark circles around my eyes since my early 20s. Kindly advise.

A: Dark circles occurring around the eyes can be due to a combination of reasons.

1. Heredity;

2. Age: The skin covering the eyelids thins out as we age and starts to lose its elasticity. With the skin being thinner, the blood vessels underneath become more apparent. To assist in collagen formation and re-vitalising your fragile skin around the eyes, you may want to consider taking higher dosage of vitamin C.

3. Toxicity: Dark circles under the eyes are often related to "toxicity" in the body. Detoxification of the body, especially the liver, could be helpful. Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated that milk thistle and dandelion improve liver function by cleansing the liver of dangerous toxins as well as stimulating the formation of new liver cells.

4. Lack of sleep or tiredness: Lack of sleep or plain tiredness will also add to the problem of bags under your eyes. It can cause paleness of the skin, which again allows the blood underneath the skin to become more visible and appear darker. If you are suffering from insomnia, try supplementing with calcium and magnesium to improve your sleep quality. You need to get more circulation going around the eyes: Lightly tap, with one or two fingers, on and around these areas a few times a day. This will help stimulate needed circulation. You could also apply cold tea bags or fresh cucumber slices on your eyes to soothe them, reduce puffiness and refresh the appearance of skin around the eyes.

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This story was first published in the New Straits Times on Apr 21, 2008.