Periorbital dark circles normally present as dark blemishes underneath the eyes. We tend to think of them as a sign that someone’s tired or unhealthy but that’s often not the case. There are, in fact, many reasons for dark circles to occur, genes included, and the cause isn’t always that clear cut. No doubt you’ve also heard old wife’s tales about how to cure this frustrating skin condition, like teabags and cold compresses.
If you’ve got dark circles, you may have tried treating the condition with varying effect. Maybe the product or treatment has given you some relief for a while, maybe it’s not worked at all, but like an uninvited guest, those dark circles keep coming back, right? So, the question remains, what’s the best way to get rid of dark circles permanently?
What Causes Dark Circles?
The first part of the story is to understand what’s going on at a cellular level. Skin underneath the eyes is extremely thin and delicate, meaning the blood vessels are more visible compared to other body parts. When vessels become damaged, they can leak blood causing a blueish tinge. Whilst some of us may be more genetically predisposed to having dark circles, there are other contributory factors.
Lack of ‘beauty’ sleep can be a reason because it makes our body release more of the stress hormone cortisol. When this happens, blood vessels expand to accommodate the increased blood flow, and this makes them more noticeable.
Smoking is another no-no. It’s highly damaging to our skin cells which exacerbates dark circles. Alcohol is yet another skin care nuisance because it causes the blood vessels to dilate, resulting in damage and blood pooling beneath the eyes.
There are also certain medications that have the undesirable side effect of dark circles, and another culprit is thought to be salty food because it causes the body to retain fluid which can collect under the eyes, leading to puffiness and dark circles.
Therefore, it’s clear that by making some changes to your lifestyle, you can improve your overall health and the appearance of your skin to some effect but there’s one thing that none of us can avoid and that’s ageing.
How Does Ageing Cause Dark Circles?
As we grow older, our skin loses elasticity, becomes thinner and cell renewal slows down. It’s the reduction in collagen and elastin that makes it more susceptible to laxity. Around the eye area, this can result in fine lines and wrinkles where the skin becomes loose and thin, dark circles becoming more visible, and a puffier appearance.
Moisturising the eye area might prevent dryness and increase hydration, but it won’t get rid of dark circles. But it’s not all doom and gloom, hurrah for science because there are some highly effective active ingredients out there that counteract the ageing process, correct damage, and prevent it from happening in future.
To do this, an eye product must work at a deep cellular level, transforming skin from within. To have any benefit, there are three essential steps relating to elastin that must be followed to reverse the signs of ageing. It must be created, converted, and organised within the skin.
Obagi has created a clinically proven range of eye products that work to restore skin health and youthful radiance. The ELASTIderm® range of products offers incredible efficacy and visible results within 2 weeks. It’s down to an innovative, ground-breaking ingredient named Bi-Mineral Contour Complex™ which combines Copper and Zinc with Malonate.
Bi-Mineral Contour Complex™ has been specifically developed to support the three necessary stages of developing healthy elastin. It’s this mineral packed trio that restores elastin, tightens loose skin, and increases skin resilience very rapidly, revealing healthier skin and visibly softening the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
For those that suffer from dark circles, we’d particularly recommend Obagi ELASTIderm® Eye Serum. This silky, weightless formulation also includes the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Caffeine which, along with Bi-Mineral Contour Complex™ tightens and brightens the skin and with regular use, you’ll see puffiness and dark circles transformed.
