On the Topic of "Panda Eyes"

If you’re like me, then you’ve been suffering from dark under eye circles for ages! I’ve tried all the proposed remedies, from cucumber slices to expensive eye creams, most will only alleviate the problems, but not treat. In this post I will talk about some of the causes and how you can alleviate the appearance!

There are actually two kinds of dark circles: 1) true pigmentation and 2) vascular pigmentation. Dark circles that falls under the first category are harder to treat; they are mostly hereditary or as a result of increased age (which, you can’t really help, unfortunately). True pigmentation will also appear browner in color. On the other hand, vascular pigmentation is caused by multiple factors such as diet, the way you sleep, allergies etc. and will usually be alleviated once the underlying problem goes away; how severe your dark circles will appear as a result of the underlying condition will both depend on genetics and how severe the underlying condition is.

Causes:

1) Genetics. Most people who have dark circles will fall into this category, I being one of them. It sucks a lot because all I can do is alleviate the symptoms but not able to do much else. All the women in my family have dark circles as well so at least I don’t feel too alone in this.

2) Allergies. We all know seasonal allergies can be hell, but the scratching and rubbing won’t do the skin under your eyes any good. Also, it will most likely be accompanied by puffy eyes, further worsening that zombie look. The veins under your eyes normally drain into the nose, but if your nose is congested because of allergies, the drainage will be block causing your veins under the eyes to widen. Dilated vessels will make dark circles look more prominent

3) Aging. We all know that aging sucks, and it comes with tons of problems ranging from brittle bones to well you guess it, dark under eyes. The skin around your eyes will become thinner and looser as you age. This means that the dark circles will be more prominent.

4) Retaining fluids, as a result of HIGH salt intake or premenstrual bloating. Both of these factors can cause puffiness around the eyes area. The increase in fluids can force blood vessels closer to the surface of the skin, worsening the appearance.

5) SUN SUN SUN. Not recommending that you stay inside and pale away, but try to protect your eyes from the sun whenever you can, whether by wearing sunscreen, sunglasses or hat. Sun exposures leads to more melanin around the eyes

What you can do:

1) Unfortunately we can't help genetics, but thank God for concealer RIGHT? I would suggest investing in a very good concealer that won't crease underneath your eyes. Currently I am using Nars concealer and it is my favorite, I don't find much creasing and the coverage is awesome for my Panda Eyes. Sometimes, I would use chilled green tea bags and put them on my eyes, this method decreases the puffiness and the antioxidants from the green tea definitely helps my appearance as well.

2) If you have allergies, you would have to treat the allergies in order for your eye puffiness and dark circles to go away. Go to your local pharmacy and pick up some antihistamine, in addition, you should also pick up a nasal decongestant. Luckily there are formulations that combine both products, but you can only get these behind the pharmacist's counter. Ask your pharmacist for Claritin-D, Allegra-D or Zyrtec-D. ONLY TAKE 1 PRODUCT AT A TIME! Lastly, drink water and keep yourself hydrated.

3) A good eye cream can alleviate the puffiness and make your dark circles look lighter. I have not tried many creams but the one that I have been using is the Clinque "All About Eyes". It is a lightweight formula and I put it on once at night and once in the morning. Also massaging the eye area by using your fingertips to lightly tap can also help.

4) CUT THE SALT! I know it's difficult but high salt intake does nothing but bring you harm, not just in terms of dark circles but many other health problems.

5) Use sunscreen whenever you go out, even if it's a cloudy day. Use at least SPF 15 and apply it at least 30 minutes before you go outside. Of course if you are going to be in water or if you are planing to sweat a lot, it's recommended that you wear a higher SPF sunscreen and re-apply it regularly as needed. Hats and sunglasses will also help shield your face area from the sun.

I hope these tips help! If you have any tips of your own, please comment below and let me know!

Love,

Fiona