Having trouble with dark circles, eye bags? Some essential tips to get rid of them
Weekend Plus Desk :
One of the most common problems these days is dark circles. One can use cosmetics to cover up some facial flaws, but dark circles and puffy eyes can’t be completely hidden. Due to erratic working hours, it gets worse.
Dermatologist Dr Nivedita Dadu, founder, Dr Nivedita Dadu’s Dermatology Clinic, New Delhi explains that they occur around the eye area because the skin around the eyes is extremely thin and sensitive.
“It has a very lean nerve that gets easily expanded or damaged due to internal or external reactions. Few common causes of dark circles are dirt, pollution, ageing, alcohol consumption, stress, mostly remaining outdoors which causes hyper pigmentation caused by sun, smoking, sleep deprivation, poor diet,” she explains.
Another issue is eye bags – mild swelling or puffiness under the eyes – are common as you age. With ageing, the tissues around your eyes, including some of the muscles supporting the eyelids, weaken which can drop down onto your cheek.
A lot of products in the market promise to lighten the dark circles but in reality, they only empty one’s pockets. In case of really dark circles, it is always advisable to visit a dermatologist who can advice you really effective treatments for it.
“I have seen lots of cases of dark circles or spots and the numbers of cases are increasing day by day. One thing that I have clearly noticed in most cases is their lifestyle choices. They do not give attention to themselves due to lack of time as they say. Proper skin care regime is very important in every age group and post 20s, it is actually as important as your basic needs are,” Dr Dadu further says.
Few tips to treat them with home care regime:
*Get enough beauty sleep of seven hours. Sleep deprivation makes dark eye circles more obvious.
*Diet plays a vital role. It is important to add vitamin B6 and B12, calcium and folic acid to your diet.
*No matter what, always stay hydrated even if you are super busy. Keep your fluid level high; and drink water throughout the day.
*Gently applied black/green tea bag or cold compress can reduce blood vessel dilation. Do not rub the area around the eyes as it will only make the condition worse. But you can gently massage.
*Always apply sunscreen before stepping out in the sun. But if you’re out in the sun especially during the peak hours of 10:00am to 4:00pm, re-apply every two hours. Cover up your exposed parts, wear your shades and hat.
*Always moisturise the eye area well with hydrating under eye cream. You can also apply under eye mask but consult with the dermatologist before using such things.
There are also non-surgical treatments that are safe and economical to treat dark circles, suggests Dr Dadu.
*iPeel- The commonly known eye bags or the puffiness under the eyes and pigmentation are a result of the combined effect of inflammation, chronic sun damage and the downward pull of gravity on under eye circles.
Chemical peels are effective in rejuvenating the skin around the eyes by exfoliating damaged upper layers of skin to reveal new, healthier skin as well as increasing elasticity and moisturising the skin.
*Eye filler – Eye fillers help to add volume to the under eye areas and help you look and feel youthful.
*Laser toning – A treatment using 1320nm wavelength of Q Switched Nd:YAG laser, based on the principle of selective destruction of pigmented cells.
*Martini – In this treatment, skin lightening and hydrating agents are infused in under eye area which helps in reducing the pigmentation.
One of the most common problems these days is dark circles. One can use cosmetics to cover up some facial flaws, but dark circles and puffy eyes can’t be completely hidden. Due to erratic working hours, it gets worse.
Dermatologist Dr Nivedita Dadu, founder, Dr Nivedita Dadu’s Dermatology Clinic, New Delhi explains that they occur around the eye area because the skin around the eyes is extremely thin and sensitive.
“It has a very lean nerve that gets easily expanded or damaged due to internal or external reactions. Few common causes of dark circles are dirt, pollution, ageing, alcohol consumption, stress, mostly remaining outdoors which causes hyper pigmentation caused by sun, smoking, sleep deprivation, poor diet,” she explains.
Another issue is eye bags – mild swelling or puffiness under the eyes – are common as you age. With ageing, the tissues around your eyes, including some of the muscles supporting the eyelids, weaken which can drop down onto your cheek.
A lot of products in the market promise to lighten the dark circles but in reality, they only empty one’s pockets. In case of really dark circles, it is always advisable to visit a dermatologist who can advice you really effective treatments for it.
“I have seen lots of cases of dark circles or spots and the numbers of cases are increasing day by day. One thing that I have clearly noticed in most cases is their lifestyle choices. They do not give attention to themselves due to lack of time as they say. Proper skin care regime is very important in every age group and post 20s, it is actually as important as your basic needs are,” Dr Dadu further says.
Few tips to treat them with home care regime:
*Get enough beauty sleep of seven hours. Sleep deprivation makes dark eye circles more obvious.
*Diet plays a vital role. It is important to add vitamin B6 and B12, calcium and folic acid to your diet.
*No matter what, always stay hydrated even if you are super busy. Keep your fluid level high; and drink water throughout the day.
*Gently applied black/green tea bag or cold compress can reduce blood vessel dilation. Do not rub the area around the eyes as it will only make the condition worse. But you can gently massage.
*Always apply sunscreen before stepping out in the sun. But if you’re out in the sun especially during the peak hours of 10:00am to 4:00pm, re-apply every two hours. Cover up your exposed parts, wear your shades and hat.
*Always moisturise the eye area well with hydrating under eye cream. You can also apply under eye mask but consult with the dermatologist before using such things.
There are also non-surgical treatments that are safe and economical to treat dark circles, suggests Dr Dadu.
*iPeel- The commonly known eye bags or the puffiness under the eyes and pigmentation are a result of the combined effect of inflammation, chronic sun damage and the downward pull of gravity on under eye circles.
Chemical peels are effective in rejuvenating the skin around the eyes by exfoliating damaged upper layers of skin to reveal new, healthier skin as well as increasing elasticity and moisturising the skin.
*Eye filler – Eye fillers help to add volume to the under eye areas and help you look and feel youthful.
*Laser toning – A treatment using 1320nm wavelength of Q Switched Nd:YAG laser, based on the principle of selective destruction of pigmented cells.
*Martini – In this treatment, skin lightening and hydrating agents are infused in under eye area which helps in reducing the pigmentation.