Who doesn’t want brighter-looking peepers?
From going too hard during party season to staying up late binge-watching TV (the Australian Open got the better of us, too), there’s a high chance that your eyes have copped a beating over the last few months.
A tell-tale sign that you’re feeling a little worse for wear are dark circles under your eyes. As for why this happens, dermatologist Dr. Natasha Cook weighs in.
“Dark circles can be caused by a multitude of factors, including thin skin (this allows the dark colour of the underlying muscle to show through), sagging of eyeball fat, which creates shadows, sagging and loss of cheek fat (this causes a groove and shadow in the area between the eyelid and the cheek - also known as the lid cheek junction), inflammation from skin issues such as dermatitis (which can cause discolouration on the eyelid skin), and the loss of bone (the maxilla bone reabsorbs with age).”
While there is no foolproof fix for dark circles, the right skin care steps can help alleviate some of the discolouration. Here are three ways you can reduce the appearance of discolouration around the eyes.
1
With a serum
A lightweight serum, like Dr Natasha Cook Cosmeceuticals Concentrated Illuminator, can be applied all over your face, but it can also be used to specifically target dark circles under your eyes. Dr Cook explains further: “Using antioxidant-type ingredients like vitamin C and niacinamide (vitamin B3) can help prevent pigment developing. They also help maintain collagen levels and skin thickness, therefore preventing dark circles. I use this product every day to maintain the quality of the eyelid skin and prevent oxidative damage.”
2
With a cream
If you’re looking for something more hard-hitting and rich, try an eye cream like Perricone MD Cold Plasma Plus Eye (Available February 27). This product is loaded with vitamin C, omegas 3, 6 and 9, as well as copper tripeptides which targets darkened and sagging skin and increases firmness, elasticity and smoothness.
3
With injectables
A specialised injection, such as Belotero, can restore radiance, replace volume and reduce the appearance of wrinkles easily and effectively. Dr Naomi McCullum, founder of The Manse Clinic, shares her expert advice. “Belotero is a range of hyaluronic acid injectables, with varying levels of lifting capability and good tissue integration. It is great for skin because it is designed for deep rehydration and restoring radiance and elasticity of the skin. We have found that Belotero Hydro suits the under-eye area because when injected correctly, we typically don't see the problems of colour issues, lumpiness or prolonged swelling, which may more commonly occur with some other fillers or skin-boosters when they are used under the eyes. Under-eye wrinkling is a challenging area in cosmetic medicine, and it's fantastic to have this very effective tool for that area in our toolkit.”
Belotero is administered using very fine needles, can cost around $700 per mL, and results can be seen after one session (however up to three sessions is recommended with a once-yearly maintenance appointment). If you’re worried about the pain, this procedure can be complemented with a topical anaesthetic and happy gas.
However, with all semi-permanent skin care solutions, caution should be exercised. “There have been millions of injectable hyaluronic acid treatments over many years, so we are well aware of the associated risks. Common risks include red needle marks, swelling (up to 48 hours post-procedure) and bruising (up to one week afterwards). Rare risks include infection or a blood vessel being blocked,” finishes Dr McCullum.
What’s your prefered method to treat dark circles? Tell us in the comments below.
Main image credit: Getty
Iantha is BEAUTYcrew's Beauty Editor, and has been part of the team since the site launched in 2016. Besides pinky-nude nail polish and wispy false lashes, she has a healthy obsession with face masks and skin care ingredients. Her previous work can be found in Virgin Australia Voyeur, Women's Health, and SHOP Til You Drop.
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