8 Dermat-Approved Ways to Get Rid of Dark Circles Under Your Eyes

There’s one skin woe that has become common amidst the pandemic is under eye dark circle. Earlier, in normal times there were several reasons for the dark shadows around the eyes—after parties, long-haul flights and of course stress-filled work days. Parties and flights may no longer be a part of our regular life but stress-filled work hours, increased screen time and sleepless nights have become constant allies causing those dark circles.

But Dr Sonal Bansal, Consultant, Dermatology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, says there are several other reasons that lead to dark circles. “Dark circles are usually genetic, and they get worse with age, stress, excessive screen time and the usage of a lot of kajal. At times, the prominent forehead bone can cause a shadow which may look like a dark circle. Depression under eyes which extends from inner part of eye to cheek may look like it has a dark circle and it is also the area which looks most hollow as it is where we lose fat initially,” adds Dr Sonal. 
The good news is that you can get rid of them by making minor tweaks to your lifestyle. Dr Sonal suggests a few effective ways, check them out.

1. Avoid applying kajal on the lower eyelid: Kajal can sometimes smudge and go inside the skin and stay there giving a darker look to the skin. No matter how carefully we remove the makeup at night, some Kajal still tends to stay on.

2. Eat a diet rich in Vitamin C: Include fruits like oranges, papaya, watermelon, pineapple, etc in your daily diet. These fruits are a great source of antioxidants including vitamin C and they greatly help in reducing dark circles.

3. Minimise screen time: Restrict usage of laptop, mobiles and TV. Screens, big or small, emit UV rays which affect the pigmentation of our skin. And with time the effect of the pigmentation worsens and leads to dark circles. Also, when we use the screen too much, we keep squinting and that over time leads to formation of wrinkles. 

 4. Vitamin C serums: Applying Vitamin C serums on the skin around your eyes will lighten the dark circles gradually. 

5. Stay hydrated: Drink at least 2-3 litres of plain water every day. Water is necessary for general hydration. It helps keep our skin glowing as it allows for better blood circulation.

6. Reduce stress: keep stress to a minimum and you will notice your dark circles disappearing. Sleep adequately, limit your screen time. Put a warm towel over your closed eyes, get a head massage, all this will help relieve stress and calm you down.

7. Sleep well: You need to sleep at least 6-8 hours every night. Sleep deprivation can lead to dull and pale skin. Lack of sleep also at times causes fluid to accumulate underneath your eyes, causing them to appear puffy. Puffy eyelids can cast shadows under the eyes, making them look like dark circles.

8. Try natural remedies: Put rose water-soaked cotton balls or cucumber slices or used tea bags, green or black over your eyes. Doing this regularly will reduce dark circles.