A build-up of late nights, constant use of smartphones, fewer hours of sleep has left many of us with burdened by the appearance of dark under-eye circles but just how do you avoid them? Something we all struggle with, you’ve no doubt Googled the best way to banish your bags but a regular routine of seven to eight hours sleep and not drinking any alcohol before bed just isn’t always feasible. Staying hydrated is key because when the body is starved of water, it responds by retaining as much as it can, hence causing puffy under-eye circles.

While this can be true, the truth is that your genes play a huge role here. So what exactly is happening when you get dark circles under or around your eyes?

Simply put, periorbital dark circles are a result of the thin layer of skin below your eyes showing the blood vessels and the blood they contain more clearly than anywhere else on your body. (For reference, this skin around your eyelids, called periorbital skin, is on average about 0.5 mm thick compared to an average of about 2 mm thick on most of the rest of your body.)

What is the Reason?

Now, as you may or may not already know, the reason veins often look blue isn’t because that the blood inside them is blue; it’s because your skin/subcutaneous tissue only lets blue/violet wavelengths of light pass through it. As a result, only blue light is reflected back and the veins look, well, bluish. (Veins often won’t appear blue if a person has darker or lighter skin. Rather, the veins tend to appear green or brown. On the other hand, people with extremely light skin, will typically have veins that show up as dark purple or dark red, more closely resembling the actual colour of the blood running through the veins.)

Again, as we age, our skin loses its elasticity and ability to regenerate and as a result, it becomes thinner. This is why more often than not; elderly people will have rather prominent periorbital dark circles regardless of how much they sleep. As with those who are genetically predisposed to having thinner skin below the eyes, it’s just biology.

That said; how do you get rid of dark circles?

The answer to all the woes is Skin City’s Dark Circle Reduction Treatment.

In this service, Nd YAG laser and RF skin tightening are used which help to reduce the pigmentation in the under-eye area as well as tighten the skin. This is followed by the infusion of Glutathione or Vitamin C, a beneficiary antioxidant that refreshes and lightens the skin further. The other alternative for more severe pigmentation can be laser treatment with Vitamin C infusion. For optimum results, 4 to 6 sessions are advised at 15-day intervals.

Who Responds to Treatments?

Certain people are more responsive to particular remedies for under-eye shadows. If your dark circles are hereditary, for instance, you may face more of a struggle: it is still worth trying to treat this problem area, but you may need to resort to medical treatments. If your eye shadowing is caused by lack of sleep, poor nutrition, excess alcohol, and caffeine, then you may benefit from changes to your lifestyle more than treatments.

If your dark circles are due to Hyperpigmentation, (dark, uneven skin patches) then you may possibly respond well to a series of Chemical Peels: again, a consultation with an experienced Aesthetic Practitioner at Skin City is vital to determine whether this is the right course of action for you.

To book your consultation with one of our Aesthetic Practitioners, call us on +91 9890225577 or +91 9422458130